Prospice
by JennyJoy4
Summary: Sequel to All Who See These Times. King Elessar and Queen Arwen have come north to relax with some friends and family, but rumors of orc activity have them worried. Katie Elvellon appears under terrible circumstances, and the adventure begins! COMPLETE!
1. Over the Emyn Uial

It was the 15th of June, and Aragorn King Elessar was worried. He stood on a balcony in the royal palace of Annúminas, looking southeastward and unconsciously scanning the horizon for any sign of a black and silver banner.

It was terribly ironic, he thought with grim amusement. He had brought all of his dearest friends north to Lake Evendim for an extended holiday and some relaxation, and now he could not relax. That was not to say the stay here was to be all play and no work, for he was slowly refounding the ancient city of Annúminas, which had lain in ruins for more than two thousand years. But it was supposed to be a joyous time shared with his loved ones, not an anxious one.

Elboron, the five-year-old son of Faramir and Éowyn, and his escort of ten guards were scheduled to arrive almost a week before. The Prince and Princess of Ithilien were sending their son to meet the ten children of Sam and Rosie. As Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor, Faramir would be taking on many of King Elessar's duties in his absence, and he and Éowyn would be quite busy for a few months. Although their son could have easily remained with them in Minas Tirith, at five years old he was already an adventurous soul, and this was to be a treat for him. He did not go with the King's party out of Minas Tirith, for he was to have had his first stay in the White City first.

Elboron and his escort of guards was supposed to have passed north of the White Mountains, through the Gap of Rohan and across Enedwaith, north through Bree, and finally to Lake Evendim. The proposed day of their arrival was six days ago.

Perhaps it was nothing. They could have been held up by something. The departure from Minas Tirith might have been delayed for some reason, or maybe the wagon Elboron was traveling part of the time in had broken an axle or some such thing, and had to be repaired in Bree.

Aragorn couldn't help but smile when he recalled passing through Bree himself on his way here. The little northern town had never seen anything to equal the procession they made: the King and Queen and their guards, all mounted on splendid horses, and a train of settlers and attendants, some carrying royal banners.

"It is a rehearsal for our visit to the Brandywine Bridge," Arwen had said solemnly, but with humor lurking in her expression. "Hobbits appreciate pomp, and everything must be done with the proper ceremony. We could not possibly come all the way from Minas Tirith in the company of the King and _not_ give them the finest show we can manage!"

Barliman Butterbur's jaw had dropped when the King's party rode into his inn-yard, and it had dropped even farther when, rather than sending a servant to deal with the accommodations, the King himself had come over to speak with him. But he gaped like a fish when he realized who the King _was_! The Hobbits who had come through fifteen years before had been right: Strider was the King!

Aragorn had laughed long and merrily over the old inn-keeper's expression, and waved away Butterbur's stammered apology for his suspicions of the tall, sinister Ranger so many years before.

"No bowing and scraping is needed, Butterbur," Aragorn said kindly, when the proprietor of the Prancing Pony showed alarming signs of carrying out this prostration. Aragorn accompanied his reassurance with a friendly pat on the back. "I forgive you freely. Now about some accommodations?"

They had very soon put Butterbur more at his ease, and by the end of the evening, his tongue was wagging as readily as it ever had.

"So many people haven't passed this way since my father's time," he marveled during a pause.

"You are likely to see more as time goes on," Aragorn warned him. "We are embarking on a re-colonization of Arnor. As Annúminas becomes more populated, there will be much more trade with the Shire and with Breeland."

"Well, I'm blessed!" Barliman had exclaimed, but someone called from the other side of the tap-room, and he had to excuse himself.

The Hobbits had seemed mercifully less awed at their presence when the party arrived at the Brandywine Bridge, and of course there were good friends among them. And new friends as well: Sam's wife Rosie was a delight. The King and Queen had already met Diamond and Estella, Pippin and Merry's wives. Merry and Estella had been married but four years, having wed the year that Merry became Master of Buckland. Pippin and Diamond had been married somewhat longer, nine years, and their son Faramir was six years old. Pippin had been made Took and Thain of the Shire two years beforehand, and Aragorn had then made him, Merry, and Sam all Counsellors of the North-kingdom. Merry and Pippin were both often in the south, so Aragorn had seen them much more recently than Sam, and he had never met Rosie at all.

And then of course, there were Sam's ten children, just as delightful as his wife. Their firstborn in particular, Elanor, was beautiful. She was very slim and had golden hair, unusual in a Hobbit. In fact, she looked quiet Elven. Arwen had made her a Maid of Honour, at which Elanor, blushing and obviously thrilled, had curtsied gracefully and thanked her prettily. There was even more ceremony when Aragorn had bestowed upon Sam the Star of the Dúnedain, a silver badge of kinship among the Rangers of the North that had heretofore been worn only by Men of Númenorean descent. Sam had understood the significance of the gift, and even now wore it proudly.

Of course, he and Arwen had invited the Gardner family to go with them to their house at the Lake, and they had all traveled north together. Sam's children had almost unable to control their excitement.

They had arrived at the rebuilt palace on the southern shores of Lake Evendim a month later, and Elboron was to have joined them six days ago.

No, a delay of six days usually would not have worried Aragorn. But there had been rumors lately of bands of orcs being spotted in the area. They had hidden themselves well in the woods, or so people said. The King's party had not been targeted by them, but who was to say Elboron's escort would not be?

There was the soft sound of feet on stone, and Aragorn turned to see Legolas and the twins come in. Legolas and Gimli had accompanied Faramir, Éowyn, and Elboron from Emyn Arnen in Ithilien, and then joined the King's party north. The twins had met them at Lake Evendim when they arrived, to Arwen's evident delight—and his own.

The three _ellyn_ all looked rather grim at the moment, though. "We have just had news," Elladan told his brother-in-law. "A scout spotted definite signs of orc activity ten miles south of here, along the Baranduin."

Aragorn nodded grimly, his decision finally made. "We must send out a party of scouts to locate Elboron's escort," he said quietly. "I only hope we may not be too late. What will I tell Faramir and Éowyn?" he added under his breath, then shook himself. He must not think of that just yet. "Come, we must send out the search party immediately!" They turned to go, but were brought up short by Legolas's voice.

He had turned to glance out over the view Aragorn himself had been scanning, and now he exclaimed, "Wait! There is someone coming!"

The others turned back and crowded around him. They could see a small figure resolutely making its way through the foothills of the Emyn Uial. At this distance, none of them but Legolas could see the figure clearly.

"Who is it?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas furrowed his brow and opened and shut his mouth, as if he could not believe what he was seeing. Finally he answered, "It is Katie."

The other three turned and looked at him in shock. "Katie? Katie Elvellon?" Elladan asked in disbelief.

"Do you know any other Katies?" Legolas asked in mild irritation, but he was distracted. He had not taken his eyes off the far-off figure. Suddenly he leaned forward and looked harder. "She carries a child on her back!" he exclaimed. Pushing himself away from the balcony and dashing toward the stairs, he added urgently, "It is Elboron!"

The others did not pause, but followed him immediately.

000

They ran through the rooms of the spacious, beautiful palace, past tapestries and statues and ornaments. They passed through a sitting room, where Arwen, Rosie, and Elanor were sitting. Arwen looked up in surprise as Elladan ran in. "What is it?" she asked, jumping to her feet.

"Katie is coming with Elboron," Aragorn told her quickly.

"Katie?" Aragorn heard his wife exclaim as he ran on, and knew that she would direct the servants to make preparations to receive the newcomers.

The implications of Katie's unusual arrival with the son of his Steward had barely begun to form in Aragorn's mind when he and the three elves burst out into the sunlight from the cool shade of the palace. Why was she here? And with Elboron? Where was his escort?

"Where are they?" Elrohir asked, scanning the green hills before them.

Legolas stared hard for a moment, then pointed. "There," he answered succinctly. They could see a small figure cresting one of the final foothills and slowly beginning to descend toward them.

As they ran closer, it came as a bit of a shock to Aragorn to see Katie in her national costume. He had been used to seeing her in elven dresses, and the sight of her in trousers and a short, tight tunic was surprising, to say the least. After all, it had been many decades since he had visited her world—though for Katie it had most likely only been a few years. She was too far away to tell for sure, but she looked very little different than she had when last he had seen her.

These strange realizations floated through his mind as they drew nearer to her. Her eyes were on the ground; she had not yet noticed their approach. Aragorn could now see Elboron's arms around her neck. She was carrying him piggy-back.

"Katie," Elrohir said when they were within speaking distance, and her head came up. A stab of pity passed through Aragorn's heart when he saw the expression on the girl's face—sorrow, weariness, and desperation. She stopped dead where she was, looking as if her legs could not carry her a step farther.

"Oh, thank God," she said wearily.

**TBC**

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AN:** Not where I was originally going to end the chapter, but it works. :) 

Welcome back to the final installment of the series! If you're wondering about the title, it's the title of a poem by Robert Browning, which begins, "Fear death? to feel the fog in my throat, The mist in my face…"

So how many of you were surprised by the last chapter, and how many of you saw it coming?

Sorry I was a tad slow getting this chapter out; had to get an inter-library loan book to look some stuff up.

**Hiro No Tsuki**: lol Yep! The smell of _l'amour_… lol

**Laer4572**: Double wedding seems fitter for Elrohir and Elladan rather than Elrohir and Aragorn, don't you think? lol

**EresseElrondiel**: Aren't you jumping the gun a bit? They haven't even declared their love yet! Oh, and I'd like to see that Elrohir banner. :)

**crazycatluver**: Welcome back! I love the question spree… Not that I'm gonna answer any of them! lol

**Lady Jammchra**: Thanks! Always happy to see a new face!. :)

**Fk306**: This is the last one scheduled, although I'm leaving the door open for later sequels.

**Almenal**: Ooo you must wait and see, my padawan!

**Princess Siara**: I was impressed at your deductive skills, and was trying desperately to lead you off the scent! Suspense—the fiction-writer's number-one tool! Honestly, I'm not sure if Elrohir ever explained the Remade thing to Legolas. He did to Elladan and Elrond et al, but… As for teasing Legolas about the blindfold thing, I don't think she'd be so mean. :)

**IwishChan**: I know; I want access to her closet.

Dee: Yay! Poooooof! And which chivalric knights reference, btw? Sry, but you know me. :)

**Ravens Destiny**: Ow! —_rubs shoulder ruefully; smacks back_—

**Ames' Maiden**: Yay! Long review! I _love_ those! Thank you very much! —curtsies ballet-style— The post may be slow; your elf should arrive soon. :) I bet the elves love the landscaping! Ever thought of taking Sam along? Right up his alley.

**Alaterial567**: Thanks! Hope you feel better soon!

**Thalion**: lol Yeah a _lot_ of people get the twins mixed up! And the second request for one of Katie's dresses! How about we just get Katie to infiltrate Lossefalme's old wardrobe and pass out clothes? —_Ashley is tickled pink that you called her Elvellon_— Wow, you really _did_ have a romantic day, didn't you? —_goes off singing "Love is in the air"_—

**AlabrithGaiamoon**: Wow! Didn't know my own power! —_hands you a tissue_—

Thanks also to **Tara**, **Neassa**, **Megara**, **ElvenRyder** and **Madd Hatter**! I loved reading all these reviews! Gave me warm fuzzies inside. :)

**Please review!**


	2. A Cry in the Night

Aragorn reached Katie first, and saw for the first time that Elboron's leg had been put in a make-shift splint. He lifted the tired child from Katie's back and smoothed dark hair off the small forehead and out of the wide grey eyes.

"My lord!" Elboron said as his father had taught him, but in his own childish accent.

"What has happened to you, Elboron?" Aragorn asked gently.

"There were orcs," the little boy answered, his voice wobbly with fear. "And I broke my leg. Katie came and told me she would take care of me."

There was no change in Katie's expression, and she had spoken no word since her first relieved exclamation. But when Elrohir silently wrapped her in a gentle hug, she leaned in to him gratefully and wearily, and shut her eyes with relief.

"Your escort?" Aragorn asked Elboron, who just looked at him with wide eyes. When the he turned to Katie, she shook her head. They were dead, then.

But this was not the time or place to discuss this. He did not know how far Katie had walked carrying the child, but she was obviously bone-weary and grieved. As they turned to walk back to the house, Aragorn saw Elrohir slip his arm around Katie's waist, supporting her.

000

Elladan walked on ahead with Aragorn and Elboron, while Elrohir and Legolas fell farther behind, matching their pace to Katie's slow one. Although Elrohir helped Katie along, he made no move to pick her up and carry her as he might once have done.

They didn't ask Katie any questions, but in the end, it was not necessary. As soon as she estimated that Elboron was out of earshot, Katie informed them, "His escort must have been attacked by orcs sometime last evening. They missed him. I would have too, if I hadn't heard him crying. The guards, as far as I could tell, were all dead."

She stopped, her expression dark. Legolas and Elrohir exchanged a worried look.

"How did you know which direction to take him in?" Legolas asked her.

"Elboron told me where they had come from and where they had been headed, and I started walking northward," Katie answered. "I had no idea if I was going in the right direction, but it seems someone was guiding my footsteps."

When she fell silent again, neither of them asked her anymore questions. Legolas observed her surreptitiously.

He would estimate that very little time had passed for her since he had last seen her in Minas Tirith at Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, more than fifteen years ago. Her hair was perhaps a trifle shorter, and her face was grey with weariness and sorrow. But her eyes were still the same bright green, and there was still a light dusting of freckles across her nose.

She began to stumble as they drew near to the palace. "It is not far, now," Elrohir murmured encouragingly. And then they were crossing stone floors and passing through cool rooms, with a few curious servants hurrying past to prepare a room for the strangely-dressed human girl who had appeared in their midst.

Legolas and Elrohir escorted Katie up to one of the guest chambers and saw to it that she was given a good meal.

"We will leave you in peace; I am sure you will want to rest," Elrohir said as they bowed themselves out of her room.

"Thank you," she said quietly as Legolas shut the door.

000

Meanwhile, Aragorn had taken Elboron up to his own and Arwen's room. While Elboron ate, Aragorn and Elladan took a look at his leg.

It was indeed broken, and Katie had splinted it rather well, which surprised him. He hadn't known she had had the training.

"Elboron," Aragorn asked gently as he put a more permanent splint on the little leg, "can you tell me what happened to the guards that were with you?"

Elboron shook his head emphatically. "They yelled a lot, when the orcs came," he divulged, swallowing a piece of bread, "but then Bargon covered me up with a blanket and told me not to move, and then I guess the guards went away."

Aragorn set his mouth in a thin line. He had known Bargon—a good man.

Having arranged everything with the servants for Katie's unexpected visit, Arwen moved silently into the room. She crossed in her stately way to kneel beside her husband before Elboron, who sat on their bed. Aragorn had just finished off Elborn's splint.

"Are you sleepy?" Arwen asked the child. Elboron nodded, and she smiled. "Then go to sleep," she said, rising and helping him get into the bed. Tucking him in, she laid a long-fingered hand on his forehead. "Sleep," she repeated in a low tone, and Elboron's eyes shut. In moments, he was fast asleep.

The three adults met in the corridor outside with Elrohir and Legolas, who had just come from Katie's room. They shared what knowledge they had gathered from their new guests of the day's tragic proceedings.

"We must send out soldiers immediately to hunt down these orcs," Aragorn said finally. "And someone must bury the escort there, or bring them here for burial—before those evil creatures get their hands on the bodies."

"It will soon be evening," Legolas reminded him. "If they planned on despoiling the bodies, they will have done so already. Perhaps we should wait for morning to send out anyone."

"He is right," Elladan agreed. "We would do best to wait for day to fight the orcs, when they will be weakened by the sunlight."

Aragorn nodded. His brothers-in-law had had plenty of experience fighting orcs, and he bowed to their superior knowledge. They would of course lead the soldiers out to do battle with these goblins.

"Mistress Rose will be wondering what has happened," Arwen said, breaking the silence. "We should go and inform our guests of these latest proceedings."

"I will send out messengers to the people to stay on the lookout, and not to venture far from their dwellings after dark," Aragorn added. "We will set guards around Annúminas. Legolas, will you help me arrange these things?"

His friend agreed, and the group dispersed.

000

"Katie Elvellon?" Rosie exclaimed. "I have heard my Sam speak of her in passing. She has come north, then? And carried the boy all day!"

"It appears so," Arwen answered gravely. She had brought the news of the new arrivals to her guests. Elanor and little Rose listened intently by their mother's side, while Goldilocks clung to her skirts. Elanor was holding Ham, and Daisie was asleep in the next room, in her cradle. Sam had taken the older boys, Frodo and Merry and Pippin, out into Annúminas to watch the construction going on there.

"But Papa said that Katie was just twenty when he saw in Rivendell, and that was before I was born," Elanor pointed out. "I saw her going up to her room, and she hardly looks older than twenty now. Is she part elven, my Lady?"

"No, she is human," Arwen answered, wracking her brains for a way to answer the girl's question without having to go into a lengthy and complicated explanation. "Some strange things have happened to Katie Elvellon over the years. It is hard to explain, but time has passed differently for her."

Rosie, who had some vague idea of the situation from her husband, turned to her children. "Well, I am sure we won't bother her with questions when she is well, now will we?" she said warningly.

"No, Mother," Elanor, little Rosie and Goldilocks answered dutifully, and Ham, one chubby finger in his mouth, shook his head obediently. Arwen couldn't help but smile.

000

Elboron slept in the King and Queen's room that night, in a small cot the servants had set up for him. He was so deeply asleep that he hadn't woken when Aragorn lifted him gently in his arms and carried him over to it, tucking him in again as Arwen had done earlier. Then they, too, went to bed.

But the household was woken just after midnight by a scream, which raised chills on the backs of all who heard it.

It had come from Katie's room.

Aragorn was on his feet in a flash and pulling on a robe. Arwen sat up in bed, and Elboron whimpered.

"I will see what it is," Aragorn said hurriedly, and as he left the room he heard Arwen go over to comfort the child.

Aragorn met Legolas at the door to Katie's room, and they found that the twins had beaten them there. Elrohir sat on the edge of Katie's bed with his arms around her, and Katie had hidden her face in his chest and was sobbing as if her heart would break.

Elrohir turned and nodded Elladan, who nodded back and ushered Legolas and Aragorn out of the room.

Sam and a few servants met them in the corridor as he was shutting the door softly behind them. "She just had a bad dream," Aragorn told the newcomers.

"Poor child," Sam murmured as the servants departed once more. "Someone is with her?"

Elladan nodded. "Elrohir will sit with her until she falls asleep."

Sam nodded approval, and they each headed back to their own quarters once more.

**TBC**

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AN:** How was that for a fast update? Hope you're happy; I wrote this all afternoon instead of doing my homework, like I was supposed to. :) 

Anything fuzzy in this chapter will most likely be cleared up in the next, when you will get the full story of Katie's arrival in Middle-earth and her encounter with Elboron.

Interesting fact: "Though it's established beyond doubt that Faramir and Éowyn had a grandson named Barahir who wrote the tale of Aragorn and Arwen in the Appendices of RotK, their son - and Faramir's heir as Prince of Ithilien - is never conclusively identified. In the drafts of the Appendices to _The Lord of the Rings_, given in volume 12 of _The History of Middle-earth_, he is shown as 'Elboron'. However, no name is given anywhere in the canonical works, and it is difficult to be sure whether Tolkien meant the name 'Elboron' to stand or not."—The Encyclopedia of Arda

I meant to add, about the title, that _Prospice_ means "Looking Forward".

**Laer4572**: lol I'm flattered. But you gotta end sometime!

**Contia Mirian**: Did I have to have an inspiration while I'm supposed to be reading all 900 pages of _The Mists of Avalon_ for my Arthur class? My muse has the most disgraceful sense of timing…

**Skye**: —_picks a suspicious bit of dust off her chocolate before biting in_— Of course, the very first story began with everybody else's POV, too. Originally, that was the plan—don't write anything from the girl's POV, to avoid Mary-sueness.

**IwishChan**: She keeps the dresses in her closet at home and has worn them for Halloween parties. She tells everybody she bought them cheap at a rummage sale. Some of them don't believe her. :)

**Lady Jammchra**: Thank you! Updated, as per your request!

**RenegadeKitsune**: You're lucky. I originally meant to end the last chapter right when Legolas identifies the figure as Katie, with Elboron on her back, and wanted to end this one where Katie screams. But there wasn't enough writing there for a chapter. —_shrugs_—

Thanks also to **Hiro No Tsuki**, **miget girl**, **kalen61589**, and **Mira-hime.**

**Please review!**


	3. The Field of Death

Arwen was sitting with Elboron when Aragorn returned to their room, and she looked up at him expectantly.

"Katie has had a nightmare; Elrohir is with her," he told his wife. "But this little one has had no bad dreams!" he said, sitting down on Elboron's other side and putting his hand on the child's head.

"Maybe Katie saw the orcs," Elboron said in innocent sincerity. "They scared the guards, I think. Maybe that was why the guards went away. I'm glad Katie didn't go away. I didn't see the orcs. Katie made me shut my eyes."

Aragorn and Arwen's eyes met over Elboron's head. "What do you mean?" Arwen asked him gently.

"She said I had to close my eyes, and not to open them until she said so," Elboron said ingenuously. "I was good. I didn't open my eyes."

"That _was_ very good," Aragorn said seriously.

Elboron nodded. "I wanted to see, but I didn't look. I always look around when my Daddy carries me on his shoulders. But Katie said, Don't look."

After a pause, Arwen said, "Well, I think it is time you shut your eyes again and went back to sleep!" She picked him up and carried him over to the cot, tucking him again and bidding him a quiet goodnight.

"No wonder Katie had nightmares," she murmured to her husband as they both climbed back into bed. "Poor girl—such a brave thing to do."

000

Elrohir had his own suspicions about what had caused Katie's night terror, but he didn't voice them. He did not tell her everything would be fine. In fact, he didn't say anything at all, only held Katie as she sobbed.

Eventually she quieted somewhat and moved to sit up. He released her, though still sat close as she wiped futilely at her face with shaking fingers. She didn't meet his eyes. When she made no move to speak, Elrohir asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

She finally looked up at him, and her eyes filled with heart-palpitating terror.

"You needn't if you do not want to," he reassured her.

She tearfully shook her head and abruptly dove back into his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. "No, I want to," she said in a choked voice. She gathered her breath for a moment, then told her story, although it was interspersed with sobs.

000

Katie's arrival in Middle-earth was as abrupt as it had always been. She stood blinking in the early summer morning sunlight, her heart lifting with the thought that she had returned and might soon see her friends again.

Katie stood in the middle of a gently rolling green plain, the sun halfway up the sky above her, the sky itself a perfect blue, and a gentle breeze blowing. But a strange sound sent shivers down the girl's spine, and she turned around to see where it might be coming from.

The sight that met her eyes burned itself horribly into her memory.

A battlefield. Dead bodies littered the ground—the bodies of men and horses mangled and tangled together on the grass.

And that keening wail—it was a child crying. Somewhere in that mess of horror was a terrified child. Even as she stood there, Katie could make out the word "Mama!" in the hoarse cries.

She never doubted for a moment what she had to do; she only wondered if she could do it. Slowly, as if she were walking to her own gallows, Katie began to make her way across the field of death.

The stench was almost overpowering. The smell of fear and blood and death—and the smell of orcs. Orc bodies littered the meadow among the bodies of men; they outnumbered the humans almost two or three to one.

Katie wanted to raise her head and not look at the bodies about her on the ground, but many of them lay so close together, she had to watch her step and pick her way painstakingly toward the center of the carnage, an overturned wagon from which the crying seemed to be coming.

Hacked and torn limbs, crushed faces… Once Katie stepped on the arm of one of the dead bodies and slipped, almost falling. In absolute disgust and terror, she crouched and vomited.

Sobbing, her eyes streaming, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve and moved on, trying desperately to get to the crying child.

After what seemed an eternity, Katie was beside the wagon, which was smashed and tilted so far, it was almost upside-down. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled underneath it.

A startled sob sounded in the warm darkness, and then there was silence. When Katie's eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw a little boy laying there, staring at her with wide eyes in a tear-stained face.

"Are you hurt, Sweetie?" Katie asked in the kindest voice she could muster after her ordeal crossing the field.

The little boy sobbed once in relief and nodded. "My leg hurts," he said pitifully.

Katie crawled a little closer and took a look at his leg as best she could in the relative darkness. It was bruised, and on closer examination, she discovered that it was broken—not badly, but broken.

She would have to splint it up. Katie scoured her mind for all the skills she had learned from Doronien, the healer she had spent time with in Mirkwood. She would need something stiff to splint the leg with, and some cloth to use as bandages… Well, that was easy; the wood of the wagon itself had been splintered into thin shafts that would work fine, and the child himself lay among a mess of blankets. Katie hunted out two serviceable pieces of wood and managed to rip some strips from the blankets as bandages.

"What's your name?" she asked the child as she worked over his leg.

"El-Elboron," he answered, wiping at his face with little hands. "Son of Faramir."

Katie stopped and looked up at him, startled. "Faramir? The Steward of Gondor?"

"And Prince of Ithilien," Elboron said, pronouncing the word carefully.

Katie bent back over her work. "What happened?"

Elboron gave another sob. "I was supposed to go to visit the King's house. And last night, we were going to stop and make a fire, but there was shouting and Bargon told me to hide and not make a sound, and he put blankets over me. And then—" His voice began to shake again. "There was a lot of yelling, and orcs hissing, and the wagon turned over and I hurt my leg. But the orcs went away, and I guess Bargon and the others did, too. Maybe the orcs scared them. They scared _me_."

"They scare me too, Sweetie." Katie finished tying off the splint. "Do you know where the King's house is?"

"They said it was by a big lake," Elboron said.

"What Lake?"

"I don't remember."

Katie bit her lip.

"Bargon said, 'We will be there tomorrow. And maybe you will hear Elves singing by the lake in the evening.' The Elves at home sing really pretty."

_Elves singing by the lake in the evening._ It rang a bell in Katie's mind.

"Was it Lake Evendim?" she asked.

Elboron nodded, recognizing the name.

Katie remembered learning about Lake Evendim in one of her lessons with Erestor, poring over maps in the library of Imladris. The Lake was in Arnor, northeast of the Shire. If Elboron were coming from Gondor, and was almost to the lake, they had to travel north-west, curving up between the hills of the Emyn Uial and the Baranduin.

"I'm sure the Elves at Lake Evendim will sing prettily too," Katie said, beginning to back out from under the wagon. "We're going to go find the Lake now." Elboron's face lit up at this pronouncement. Katie pulled him with her out from under the wagon, careful not to jostle his leg. Just before she pulled him out into the sun, she paused.

"Do you ever ride on your Papa's back?" she asked him. He nodded. "Well, I'm going to pull you out of here, and then you're going to sit up and I'll carry you on my back. But I need you to do something for me. I want you to shut your eyes tight, and don't open them for anything. Don't open them at all until I tell you to. Can you do that for me?" Elboron nodded solemnly, as only a five-year-old could. "Okay, shut your eyes now."

Elboron shut them obediently, and Katie pulled him out into the sunlight and the field of death. She maneuvered him around until she got him on her back, holding around her neck, then picked him up piggy-back style and began to pick her way north across the meadow.

"Are your eyes still shut?" she reminded him, trying to keep her voice calm and to ignore the sights about her feet.

"Yes," Elboron answered.

When she had finally gotten out of the carnage, Katie made north for a bunch of hills, and walked some distance between them until the field was lost entirely from sight.

"You can open your eyes now," she told her charge. "You did a very good job of keeping them shut."

After a moment of silence broken only by the sound of Katie's steps across the grass, Elboron suddenly asked, "What's your name?"

"Katie," she answered. It came to her mind to say Katie Johanson, but instead she said, "Katie Elvellon."

"Oh! Are you a Dwarf?" Elboron asked.

Had Katie been feeling a little better and less traumatized, she would have laughed. "No; do I _look_ like a Dwarf?"

"No, but I've never seen a Dwarf-woman," Elboron said ingenuously. "Only, Gimli's name is Elvellon too, and _he's_ a Dwarf."

"Do you know Gimli?" Katie asked, surprised.

"Yes, he comes to visit Legolas. Legolas went to visit the King, too. I like Legolas."

"I like Legolas, too."

This launched Elboron into a number of long and confusing stories about his friend and his home, but he eventually fell silent. It was no wonder. The poor child was exhausted, and had had no food or water since the day before.

Katie herself was soon very tired. It was no problem to carry a five-year-old on one's back for a short distance, and another thing altogether to carry him hours upon hours across rough terrain with little rest, no food, and no water. She probably could have gotten a waterskin and some food from the supplies in the wagon, but she hadn't wanted to stay in that horrible place any longer than she had to.

She found herself walking bemused in daydreams—or rather, day-horrors. Everywhere she looked there were corpses, and every time she shut her eyes, dead faces leered at her. More than once, she felt ill and had to suppress it. Once she couldn't, and knelt down, giving way to dry heaves that left her stomach sore.

"Are you sick?" Elboron asked timidly from her back.

Katie choked back a sob. "I'll be fine, Honey," she said, trying to reassure herself as much as she was reassuring him.

000

Elboron dozed off halfway through the morning, and at noon, they reached a small stream. Katie decided it had probably come from the Baraduin. She woke Elboron and put him down, and they both drank thirstily, Katie relieved to finally wash the taste of vomit out of her mouth. She longed to bathe, to wash the smell of death off of herself. There was blood and gore on the bottom of her shoes, and blood and dirt on her jeans. But she had no time, and she didn't relish the idea of walking for the rest of the day with wet shoes and socks. The scent of the battlefield hung about her like a cloud until she was terrified by it.

Elboron didn't seem to notice it.

After a short rest, Katie picked him up and began to walk again. She began to get scared as they didn't seem to be reaching any sort of landmark, any dwelling or signs of civilization. Sure they should have been there by now? Elboron said his guard had told him they would reach the King's house that day. But _when_ that day? If they were planning on getting there in the evening, riding all day, then Katie would not make it to the Lake on foot before nightfall. She and Elboron would have to spend the night out in the wilderness, with orcs around.

That was the other thing that terrified her. Orcs had attacked Elboron's caravan, and left none alive. That suggested there were still orcs out here, and she was walking alone and exhausted, carrying a child who couldn't run away by himself. Every suspicious rustle from nearby trees, and every sound of the wildlife made Katie's heart jump into her chest. More than once she paused, her heart thundering, and more than once she tried to quicken her pace, suppressing the urge to run.

By late afternoon, it was all Katie could do to suppress the urge to collapse. She had eaten nothing all day and carried a child on her back for miles, besides having one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. She felt she would soon fall dead on the sward, and no one would ever find her. Tears of exhaustion and fear and despair fell silently down her cheeks. She suppressed the sound of her sobs so as not to scare the child.

She seemed to march asleep, and it was a great shock to her to hear her name spoken. Looking up, she saw four familiar faces coming toward her. It was the most welcome sight she had ever seen in her life.

"Oh, thank God," she managed.

000

Katie was shaking by the time she had finished this recital, and Elrohir was worried for her.

"I can still smell it," she whispered. "Death. I smell it all around me." Fear was in her voice; it trembled pitifully. "I'll never get rid of it! I'll smell it for the rest of my life!" She was practically hyperventilating.

"Shh," Elrohir said soothingly, exerting as much healing influence as he could, and surrounding her in an Elven serenity. "You will be free of it eventually." When she had calmed somewhat, he added, "Now you must sleep."

"No!" She clung to him desperately. "All I'll see is their faces!"

"No you won't," he said calmly, detaching her from him and tucking her in. He sat in the chair by her bed and let her hang onto his hand. "You will dream nothing. Close your eyes."

She did so as obediently as Elboron had done as she carried him off the battlefield. Softly, Elrohir began to sing: a low, strange song that sounded as if it were sung by the ancient earth itself. In a few moments Katie's breathing had slowed as she drifted into a dreamless sleep. But she still held to Elrohir's hand, and he did not move away.

**TBC**

**

* * *

AN:** A page and a half longer than usual, but I didn't want to break in the middle of Katie's story. 

In rereading the last two chapters, I realized I made a mistake: Sam and Rosie had _eight_ children by this time, not _ten!_ Mea culpa—I'll change it when I get the chance. Elanor is 15, Frodo is 13, Rose is 11, Merry is 9, Pippin is 7, Goldilocks is 5, and I believe Hamfast is 4 and Daisy is 3. According to the family tree in the appendices of RotK, Primrose should've been born the year before this, and Bilbo this year, which is how I got ten. But the first version of the epilogue doesn't mention her, while the second version does… It's all very confusing, but since more Hobbit children means more characters for me to juggle, I'm leaving it at eight.

Interesting fact: The name _Bargon_ is a Sindarin version of _Henry_.

**IwishChan**: Yes, Ham is rather adorable. Poor Elboron? What about poor Katie? She's the one who walked the entire day carrying him on her back!

**ElvenRyder**: All the names of Sam and Rosie's children are from canon. Aragorn and Arwen had a son named Eldarion and some unnamed daughters. When Aragorn is dying he says that Eldarion is 'full-ripe for kingship', and since Chieftains tended to take over their duties at the age of 90, that would mean that Eldarion is born in the year 30 of the Fourth Age (this information from the Encyclopedia of Arda). This story takes place in the 14th year of the Fourth Age, so Eldarion won't be born for another 16 years yet.

**Alaterial567**: Ooh, midnight showing of HP GoF! Don't tell me anything; I'm seeing it Sunday night.

**Fk306**: Now we know. She's extremely traumatized.

**Skye**: lol The dust-bunnies can't shed any more than me… I swear I'm losing my summer coat, just like our cats. It's incredible.

**Ravens Destiny**: I'm glad you like it when Elladan gets hit, because that'll probably happen some more by the time we're done. :)

**Arlindor**: I've got one sibling. I love him, but one is enough for me!

**Madd Hatter**: Yep, she's in shock a bit.

**Ames' Maiden**: Oh, do guess! I love hearing my readers' theories… and then telling them I can neither confirm nor deny them. :)

**EresseElrondiel**: I'm gonna have to make me one o' them.

**Mira-hime**: That's actually a very good theory. I hadn't thought about that one. And don't worry about your English; it's better than a lot of stuff one reads on the net! Where are you from?

**Lady Jammchra**: What do you do for a living? Do you work in publishing? Yep, Katie's a bit of a Storm-crow.

**Thalion**: Yeah, I feel really bad for the poor girl. She's seen a heck of a lot of death in Middle-earth, hasn't she?

**RenegadeKitsune**: lol Yes, the cliffy: a fanfic writer's best friend!

**Laer4572**: lol Yes-huh! Tolkien himself said so: "One must stop somewhere" (_Letters_, #144). Ha! lol Ah yes, chivalry is great, isn't it?

**Dreamer**: lol Thank you!

**Megara**: lol You're not excited or anything, are you?

Thanks also to **Tara, miget girl, SAGA123, Contia Mirian** and **Almenel**!

**Please review!**


	4. The Next Morning

The sun was not yet over the horizon when Elrohir slipped silently from Katie's room and his long vigil. He was leaving at dawn with Elladan and a troop of Gondorian soldiers to care for the bodies of Elboron's guards and to hunt down the orcs responsible for the carnage. He needed to gather his supplies and ready himself to leave. He had probably tarried too long already.

When he entered his room, Elladan was already there. Before his twin could say anything, Elladan told him, "I took the liberty of packing up what you will need and making the arrangements for you. All you need to do is change clothes."

"And you have already laid them out for me!" Elrohir said with a laugh. "_Gen hannon, muindor-nín._ I was worried I might not have time."

"I knew you would be torn in two directions," Elladan said sympathetically as his brother began to change clothes. When Elrohir didn't answer, he continued, "Are you certain you want to come?"

Elrohir looked up at him in surprise. "That is a strange question to ask, when you have already made all the preparations!"

Elladan took no notice. "There is no need for you to come if you would rather stay here with Katie."

Elrohir set his lips in a firm line. "Yes, there is need for me to go. These orcs are a menace, Elladan, they must be seen to. You and I can dispatch them more quickly and efficiently than any of Estel's doughty warriors." He sighed. "I am indeed very worried about Katie, but this must be done so that we can all be safe."

000

Legolas caught up with the twins in the stableyard and once more offered his services in the hunt for the orcs.

"We appreciate the offer, but we have plenty of manpower already," Elladan reminded their friend. "Estel will need more help here, organizing patrols to protect the settlers. You will be helping him with that." Legolas nodded. Elrohir opened his mouth to speak, then looking around, drew Legolas a little distance away from the bustle.

"There is something else I would ask of you," he said quietly.

"Anything."

"Keep an eye on Katie. Arwen has said already that she will watch over her, but Arwen has the responsibilities of hostess here and cannot always be spared from those duties."

"Of course," Legolas assured him.

Elrohir related, in a very abbreviated way, the story that Katie had told him the night before. "I fear she may become afflicted with the war-terror," he concluded grimly.

"I will do what I can," Legolas said. "But why do you not let me take your place in this hunt, and stay here yourself?"

Elrohir took a deep breath, and looked away. Finally turning back to Legolas, he gave an apologetic smile. "I cannot," he said. "It is more than duty that binds me. No, Elladan and I will ride against the orcs."

After a pause, Legolas nodded in understanding. They were both silent for a moment, not looking at one another.

"There, everyone is mounted up and ready to go," Legolas said, gesturing to the troop in the center of the stableyard. "Elladan has your horse. You must go."

Elrohir nodded and clasped his friend's shoulder. "_Le hannon, mellon-nín_."

000

Katie slept until mid-afternoon, waking with the expectation of finding Elrohir beside her. But the chair by her bed was vacant.

She sat up and stretched. Why had she expected Elrohir to be there? Oh, he had been there in the middle of the night. When she had had a nightmare.

Of the dead bodies.

She passed a shaking hand over her face. Elrohir was right, she had slept dreamlessly—a thing which she suspected was his doing. But it did not stop her from remembering, now that she was awake.

Someone had been in the room to fill the ewer with water and to lay out clothes for her. They had taken away her stained and reeking clothing, and Katie prayed they had burned them. She never wanted to see or smell them again.

Once washed and dressed, she ventured from her room. The corridors were quiet, and Katie attempted to remember how she had come in as she slipped silently through the house.

After a few wrong turns, she found herself in the Great Hall, and following her nose, made her way to the kitchens. She was ravenously hungry.

She was also immensely relieved to encounter voices and bustling bodies in the kitchens. Not only were servants working, chatting, and laughing here, but Arwen herself was discussing menus with the head cook, and there were three little boys raiding the pantry. _Very_ little boys. They must be Hobbit children!

Arwen noticed her arrival and finished her conversation with the cook. "Katie," she said with a warm smile, coming over and giving her a comforting hug. "How are you this morning?"

Katie managed a very strained smile. "A little better, thank you, my Lady," she said, remembering that she was addressing the Queen of Gondor and Arnor.

"Good." Arwen broke off with a chuckle. "Was not the first luncheon to your taste, that you must needs have another?" she asked the Hobbit children, who were piling their loot on a very short table and preparing to consume it. They grinned back, knowing she was only teasing. "Katie, may I present Frodo, Merry, and Pippin Gardener, three of Sam's children? Gentlemen, this is Katelyn Elvellon."

The boys leapt to their feet and executed neat bows—at least, Frodo and Merry did. Pippin, the youngest of the three, tried to follow their example and almost tripped over himself. Katie smiled a real smile for the first time since her ordeal, and curtsied to them solemnly.

"Won't you join us?" Frodo asked courteously, and they made room for her at the Hobbit-sized table.

Arwen smiled at the little group, and slipped quietly out of the kitchen.

**TBC**

**

* * *

AN:** Slightly shorter than usual, but anything else I was going to get into would make it too long. 

Unfortunately, I will now be using the reply function provided by ff dot net and only replying in the chapter to reviews that have no reply link. Any issues in comments which I think need to be brought up, I'll also address here. I'd rather not do it this way, but I don't want to make ff dot net mad.

**Skye**: lol I thought of that. _I see dead people…_I've never heard of that game, but then, I don't drink, so I have no experience with drinking games. :)

**RenegadeKitsune**: lol I play… STENCH OF DEATH! MWA HA HA! TAKE THAT, SUCKER! Honestly, have you ever smelled rotting animal from close quarters? Ain't nice, and you get away from it but the smell clings to things and makes you want to retch… Yicky.

**Madd Hatter**: Yeah, Elrond would be useful right about now.

**Darkened Dreams**: lol And now you're got two more!

**Megara:** Oh, I would totally freak out too.

**Erasuithiel**: Oh, I always enjoy it when I figure out what's going to happen and then when it happens, I'm like, Yeah! In your face! …But I suppose that's more with books than fanfiction.

**Thalion**: Well, but we must remember that Middle-earth in this construction is no less real than our world—in fact, it is the same world! So it's just as realistic and hard-hitting. It's just that there's more magic, and therefore more loopholes. :) I love loopholes.

Thank you everybody for reviewing! Each and every one of you is worth your weight in gold—or chocolate, take your pick.

**Please review!**


	5. Mist in My Face

Legolas, having taken a break from helping Aragorn with his work in the settlement of Annúminas, decided to take a stroll through one of the gardens outside the palace.

The sun was warm and bright overhead, and the colors of the garden brilliant in its light. But a sound caught his ear from nearby, and he knew it wasn't birdsong. Worriedly, Legolas followed the noise until he encountered Katie, sitting in the grass at the foot of a tree.

She was not sobbing aloud, but silent tears were running down her face. Her expression was not twisted with grief, but stony in its despair.

"Are you well?" Legolas asked in some alarm. Katie looked up at him and shook her head, not even bothering to move or brush the tears off her cheeks.

"What is wrong?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

Helplessly, Katie answered, "I'm just so miserable." Her voice was hollow and hopeless. She was not plunged into a loud or furious grief, but a cold, grey depression.

Legolas had seen the war horrors come upon soldiers in this way—Merry himself had been greatly depressed in the aftermath of the Battle of the Pelennor. He hoped Katie's depression would be of no longer duration.

He drew out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears off of Katie's cheeks, then took her hands and pulled her to her feet. It had occurred to him that her very inaction was probably exacerbating the problem, and drawing her hand through his arm, he escorted her out of the garden.

"Come," he said kindly, "there is work we can do in the settlement. They will very much appreciate your help."

Katie nodded and bravely tried to smile.

"Good girl," Legolas said impulsively, and they headed off of the palace grounds.

000

Katie ate her dinner quickly and quietly excused herself from the table almost before everyone else had finished eating. Legolas and Arwen exchanged a glance.

"I will go in to her before she sleeps," Arwen murmured, and Legolas nodded. They had spoken earlier in the day about her condition, and had resolved to keep an eye on her together.

When Arwen entered Katie's room that night, she found the girl sitting up in bed, hugging her knees.

"Why do you not go to sleep?" she asked gently.

"I'm afraid I'll have nightmares again," Katie admitted hoarsely. "I see dead faces enough with my waking eyes; I cannot bear to see them in my sleep!"

"I know a remedy for that," Arwen said, gesturing for Katie to lay down.

As she pulled up the blankets to tuck Katie in, the girl asked, "Is it that lullaby?"

Arwen cocked her head. "Do you know of it already?"

"Elrohir sang me to sleep last night," Katie explained.

"Ah." Arwen smiled. "Our mother wrote the song, and she used to put us back to sleep with it when we had nightmares. She wove her magic into it; it will send you into a peaceful and unmarred sleep. Shall I sing it to you?"

Katie nodded. "Yes, please."

000

Arwen sang Katie to sleep every night in the week that followed. During the day, Legolas tried to seek her out and include her in as many activities as possible, so as to take her mind off of dark memories. It worked to a point, but still Katie rarely smiled and never laughed, and Legolas knew there were mornings that she remained alone and silent in her room, feigning sleep to any who knocked on the door. He was convinced she would improve over time, but he still worried about her.

When there was no work to be done, he often tried to draw her out and talk with her. Sometimes she complied, and sometimes she was distracted or reticent. One morning, they walked around the perimeter of the settlement of Annúminas. The morning sun had not yet grown hot, and it was pleasant to stroll between the houses and the lake.

"How long has it been for you since you were last in Middle-earth?" Legolas wanted to know.

"A little more than a year," she answered. "I finished my schooling a month ago, and I've been applying for jobs."

"It has been more than fifteen years here," Legolas told her.

Katie nodded. "I thought as much. Elanor is fifteen," she said, referring to Sam and Rosie's oldest child. "And beautiful," she added.

Legolas nodded. "She is that," he agreed. They walked in silence for a moment, watching the sunlight glint on the water and hearing the sounds of people talking in the settlement.

"This may seem an odd question," Legolas said, "but how old are you?"

Katie gave the ghost of a smile. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never sat down and figured it out. It was very confusing to me to be celebrating my birthday back home and know that I really wasn't exactly a year older. But I couldn't exactly stand up and say, 'I'm older than twenty-two, you know!'"

"So you never told your family or friends about your visits to Middle-earth?"

"No, never." She paused. "Well, Grandma knew, of course, and Megan. But I never told anyone else. And it was interesting trying to keep the secret." She turned to Legolas. "You see, my hair grew the last time while I was here. I had to cut a few inches off of it when I got back home, so that nobody would notice. But there was nothing I could do about the changes I acquired on the trip to Minas Tirith. It was the middle of winter at home, and people wanted to know why I had gone out and tanned!"

Legolas laughed, pleased to see that he had finally drawn more out of his young friend than her usual one sentence answers.

As if reading his mind, Katie immediately became quiet again, and Legolas couldn't pry anymore conversation from her for the rest of the walk. He hoped Elrohir and the others would return soon.

000

Every night Arwen sang Katie to sleep, and Katie slept soundly and dreamlessly until morning. Or at least, if she dreamed, she didn't remember the dreams, and they did not frighten her. One night she told Arwen she would try and go to sleep on her own, but she woke in terror just after midnight. Arwen was there within moments to soothe and calm her and sing her back to sleep, and Katie didn't try to sleep on her own again.

One night, a week and a half after the twins had gone, Katie drifted into a strange dream. Images of Lothlórien faded in and out of sight, and huge, sweeping vistas of the sea stretched out to strange horizons. A small boy ran past her, laughing—a boy long black hair and laughing eyes. She thought vaguely, _So this is Elrohir as a boy. He was a beautiful child._

Katie became aware that there was someone beside her, although she couldn't turn her head to see who it was. But the presence of a stranger did not scare her in the least. In fact, she was not so certain it _was_ a stranger. Finally, her companion spoke.

"You have things to accomplish here in Middle-earth," the figure said. The voice was feminine, but pitched low so that it almost could pass for a man's voice.

"I know," Katie answered despairingly. "I don't feel I can accomplish _anything_ right now. Or that it will matter if I do or not."

"Oh, my child, you are weary with sorrow." The person leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She felt a strange, warm tingle wash down over her, leaving a welcome serenity in its place. "You will be given the strength to go on—the strength to be joyful," her companion said.

They were both quiet a moment as the sun rose and fell a hundred times over the mountaintops, and Katie reveled in the rest she had not been able to find in many days.

Her companion let her rest there for a moment which seemed like years, and then gently took her shoulder.

"Turn—and see what is before you."

Katie turned, and the scene changed. They stood in a ruined city, the shapes of crumbled walls eerie in a strange sort of half-light that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

They seemed to stand on what had once, centuries ago, been a street corner. The deformed shapes stood fallen rows about them.

Standing directly before her was a tree which had grown up between blocks of stone, its roots writhen like snakes over the contours of the ancient ruin. It was twisted and strange—doubly so in this uncanny light. Under normal circumstances, Katie would have shivered with dread, but she felt no fear with the companion standing by her side.

"Do you see this tree?" her companion said, gesturing to it. "When you see this tree, you must turn right and follow the ancient road."

"What will I find at the end of it?" Katie asked.

"That you may not know," the figure said gently. "Even the very wise do not know where may lead the roads they choose. But take this road you must."

"I will take it," Katie said firmly.

"Good." Katie could hear the smile in her companion's voice. "That is all that is asked of you."

Katie felt their interview was coming to an end, and she wanted desperately to see the person she was speaking with. Slowly she turned her head and looked.

She thought for a moment that it was Galadriel who stood beside her, smiling sweetly. But as she looked, her companion looked not so much like Galadriel as another elf woman, very similar in feature to the Lady of the Wood, but a little less tall and with straight, silvery hair. As she looked, it seemed she saw Galadriel again—and then the figure changed and looked no more like an elf-woman, but Katie turned her eyes away in respect and holy fear. And power surged around her and was gone, and someone was knocking softly at her door and telling her it was time to awake, and the sunlight was falling in warm shafts on her bedsheets… And Katie smiled at the simple pleasure of warmth and morning sunlight, and felt peace washing gently through her heart once more.

**TBC**

**AN:**

**Please review!**


	6. Bad News

The soldiers returned a few minutes after Katie left her room. She heard the commotion and went to see what was going on.

The stableyard was full of horsemen milling about and greeting their friends. Katie caught sight of Legolas in the crowd and slipped over to him, plucking his sleeve.

"Where are Elladan and Elrohir?" she asked.

"I do not know," he answered, then took a good look at her. She was standing on tiptoe, craning her neck to try and see her friends. There was more color in her cheeks than before, and her eyes were alight with excitement.

"You look well," he told her in surprise.

She stopped searching for a moment to smile at him. "I _feel_ well," she answered. "I slept really well last night."

"Here!" Legolas caught the arm of a passing soldier. "Where are the brethren Elladan and Elrohir?"

"They did not return with us," the man said. "We found a small troop of orcs, but Elladan and Elrohir believed there were more, and then went off to track them." He paused. "Are they not here?" Legolas shook his head. The man frowned. "They meant to be back earlier than we—we had yet the task of burying the dead." His expression cleared. "Ah well, I imagine they are just taking their time." He excused himself and went to stable his horse.

000

Everyone else seemed much of the same opinion. Elladan and Elrohir had been hunting orcs for time out of mind, and they were most likely making sure they had killed all of the foul creatures before returning to Lake Evendim.

Legolas was not the only one to note the change in Katie. The improvement in her mood was the talk of the King's house, and everyone was glad to see she was on the mend. She had been spotted playing with Sam and Rosie's younger children in the gardens; Frodo, Merry, and Pippin had taken her fishing on the shores of the lake; and she and Elanor had been given a short lesson on harping from one of the Elves who had accompanied Elladan and Elrohir from Rivendell.

Arwen only hoped the improvement would last. "It is likely she will have recurrences of depression," she said worriedly to Mistress Rose. "I only hope this will be more than a passing elevation of mood."

Rosie looked thoughtful. "She has fallen quiet a few times during the day, but seems to regain her cheer almost immediately. I think something great has happened to heal her spirit."

Arwen nodded. "I believe you are right. I do not know what it might be, but it seems to have done the trick." She paused. "And Katie is very resilient. My brothers have told me of the horrible things that have happened to her over the years that she has visited us. None of them held sway too long over her heart or her mind. She has been protected from great grief. Her name should be _Joyous-heart_—she is so much like her grandmother! I only hope Elladan and Elrohir will return soon; they know her better than I, and could judge her condition more accurately."

000

Arwen was pleased to find that when she asked Katie if she wanted her to sing her to sleep, Katie shook her head.

"No, thank you, my lady," she answered pleasantly. "I think I can go to sleep on my own now." Despite a few misgivings on the part of her friends, Katie slept the whole night through with no more than a mild nightmare. She had woken a little short of breath, but merely rolled over and went back to sleep.

The servants of the house stayed up late, hoping to serve the lords of Imladris when they returned to the King's house, but there was no sign of them that night. Nor, the next day. The King's household began to worry.

That night, some of the Elven bards played for the King's party beneath a canopy by the lake. The servants had lit a multitude of candles, and the lights reflected waveringly on the waters of the lake.

When the little gathering drew to a close, they all went back inside and said their goodnights in the entrance hall preparatory to departing for their own quarters.

A step was heard on the stone stairs outside and the doors swung open to reveal Elrohir in travel-stained clothing. He paused in surprise on the threshold, staring at the silent group of people before him.

Arwen darted over and gave him a hug, disregarding his travel-stained appearance. "Elrohir! I am so glad you are back! But where is Elladan?"

Elrohir's brow creased as if in pain. "I lost him," he said quietly, and they all noticed for the first time how pale he was, how exhausted, and how desperate his expression.

Arwen blinked up at him, confused.

"We split up to track two different groups of orcs, planning to meet at a rendezvous in a few hours," he explained, still speaking quietly in the silence as if she were the only person who was listening. "I waited at the rendezvous for two hours, and he never showed up. Then I followed him. I tracked him to a clearing where there were signs of a struggle. But no sign of Elladan could I find after that. Two days ago, I found his horse—dead, shot full of orc arrows. I cannot find Elladan, _muinthel vuin_," he said, his voice low with despair. "_Arwen, man ceritham?_"

Aragorn stepped forward, breaking the silence. "We must ride out and find him," he said decisively. His matter-of-factness seemed to break the spell over Elrohir, who nodded, gathering himself. "We will take a troop of soldiers early tomorrow morning, and I will go with you to track him."

"I as well," Legolas said, stepping forward.

Elrohir thanked them, and the room burst into activity. Rosie ushered her fascinated children to bed and the rest of the adults began giving orders to servants and making preparations.

Katie darted over to Elrohir, who still stood alone on the edge of the room.

His expression softened a little when he saw her. "_Estel-oneth_."

Her heart went out to him, but she said clearly, "Take me with you."

Elrohir looked grim. "I cannot, Katie," he said. "There are more orcs out there than we thought. It will be dangerous."

"I know," she answered calmly.

"Traveling with a troop of soldiers is no picnic," he continued. "You will be the only woman there."

She nodded again. "Yes, I know. _Please_, take me with you." When he looked about to protest again, she added, "You will _need_ me, Elrohir."

He regarded her seriously, his lips pressed in an unhappy line. He put his hands on her shoulders. "If anything happened to you, Katie, I would never forgive myself," he said softly. Katie was silent, looking earnestly into his face. Finally he dropped his hands and shook his head. "Alright," he capitulated. "But you must promise me that you will stay out of the fighting as much as possible." Katie nodded solemnly. "Go, tell the staff that you will be going, and you will need supplies." She nodded and left, though she longed to hold him and make him forget the grief and fear that so lined his face.

He watched her go, cold fear dancing through his stomach. "I must be mad," he muttered.

000

The servants were very surprised when they heard that Katie was joining the troops, but they immediately jumped in to help her prepare. There were the usual preparations to see to—food and a horse, a blanket, a waterskin… And then there were the unusual preparations. One servant found Katie a pair of leggings that would fit her, some riding boots, a tunic, a belt, and a warm cloak. She herself packed a comb and some leather thongs to tie back her hair with.

She was worried she would not be able to go to sleep that night for nervousness, but she dropped off almost immediately.

000

Elrohir found Arwen in the kitchens, making sure that provisions had been prepared for the search party. "There are extra portions here," she pointed out.

"Katie is coming along."

"Katie?" Aragorn exclaimed, having just walked into the conversation. "She cannot come! It is far too dangerous. And a single woman with a party of men—"

"I told her all that. She wants to come anyway."

"It is madness!" Arwen exclaimed. "You would let her do this?"

"She is convinced that she will be needed in the search, and I am not so sure that she is wrong," Elrohir said slowly. "Think of all the strange and dangerous things she has been involved in before when she was sent to us! If she feels so strongly about this, I do not wish to gainsay her."

Aragorn nodded, but Arwen look unconvinced. Elrohir was deeply worried about his brother; he did not wish to argue with his sister, too. So he changed the subject. "Is there any improvement in Katie? Do you think she will suffer from the war horrors?"

Arwen shrugged. "She has improved almost miraculously in the past two days, but I do not know if it will last."

"The past two days?"

Arwen nodded. "She woke up two days ago looking as healthy and cheerful as she was when I knew her before. She has not needed help getting to sleep since. We are all greatly relieved, but quite mystified."

"I hope that means she will be well," Elrohir said heavily, shaking his head. "I hope Elladan may be, too."

Aragorn embraced his foster-brother warmly. "I am sure he will be," he said with a confidence he was far from feeling.

**TBC**

**

* * *

AN:**

_Arwen, man ceritham?_: Arwen, what are we going to do? Thanks to **dreamingfifi** for the fabulous and fast Sindarin translation!

In answer to your questions, if you haven't guessed who the silver-haired elf-woman was in the dream, you'll find out eventually. :) You know you love me.

**Darkened Dreams**: lol Yeah, we're seeing a lot more of concerned!Elrohir this time around! Sam was indeed originally Samwise Gamgee. But apparently he changed his name after the War of the Ring, because all of his children have the surname _Gardner_.

**Lady Dragon Jammchra**: Yeah, I conceived "war horror" or "war terror" as a Middle-earth term for post-traumatic stress disorder. lol I do love writing cliffies…

**Contia Mirian**: Yeah, that really does fit! I do that, too. There's all these songs that I get to a certain line, and I'm like, The Elves would _love_ this!


	7. The Black Minute

Katie felt very small and very scared as she stepped out into the stable yard the next morning. It was full of soldiers and their horses milling about, preparing to leave with the search party. Katie found her horse (someone had taken pity on her and saddled it already) and followed suit.

"Katie!" She turned to see Elrohir striding toward her. "Here," he said when he reached her. "I want you to carry this." Katie took it gingerly. It was a long elven knife in a leather sheath. "It is only for defense," he reminded her.

She nodded. "I'll keep my promise."

Elrohir nodded, but had no time to respond. Aragorn and Legolas had come over to speak with him.

"Where are we beginning our search?" Aragorn asked.

"We tracked the orcs all the way into the North Downs," Elrohir answered. "It was there in the hills that we split up."

"No one lives in the Downs," Aragorn mused. "'Twould be an excellent hiding place for Orcs—in the crags and hills of that land."

Katie shivered suddenly, and they looked over at her in concern.

"You can still remain here; you do not need to come," Elrohir said gently.

"No." Katie shook her head decisively. "I'm coming. I have to come."

Aragorn looked grim, but he and Elrohir exchanged a glance, and he nodded.

000

The search party left soon after. Everyone came to see them off: Arwen, Sam's family—even Elboron, carried by one of the serving women, waved goodbye to Katie.

It was a fine morning, but no one had the heart to enjoy it—least of all Elrohir, riding grim and determined at the front of the line with Aragorn, Legolas, and Katie herself. They spoke little. Katie found herself wondering what she had gotten herself into.

They rode without stopping to eat. Late in the afternoon, Aragorn and Legolas both dropped back to speak with a few of the soldiers, and Elrohir and Katie were left alone at the front of the line. Katie expected Elrohir to be as reticent as before, so it was a surprise when he spoke.

"Are you angry with me, Katelyn?"

The use of her full name surprised her even more, and she turned a startled face to him. "Angry? Why should I be angry with you?"

"I left you alone at Lake Evendim to go off and fight the orcs, when I might have stayed and comforted you," he said slowly and painfully. "Can you forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive, Elrohir," Katie said softly. "I was not alone. And you see that I'm well." He only shook his head. Katie wanted to pursue the topic further, but Aragorn came back up to join them, and they spoke no more on the subject.

000

Katie discovered that very evening when they halted why it was that women never rode out with men on these kinds of excursions. Awkward was not even the word. They brought no tents and all slept on the ground—but whilst they were at pains to keep Katie in a safe location near the fire, none of them could sleep right next to her. Imagine the embarrassment if they rolled over in the night and found themselves a little _too_ close! And that was the least of it. Finding a place to relieve herself discreetly, but at the same time letting people know what she was doing so that nobody would walk over and find her was nigh impossible. Katie was actually glad there was no place to wash more than their faces and hands, and that they none of them intended to change clothes on this journey. They might smell overpowering by the end of it, but it would eliminate another modesty problem for everyone to worry about.

And worry about it they did. The men were used to being in all-male groups on these kinds of travels, and it was nearly as hard on them as it was on Katie. Now they had to sneak off to relieve themselves, as well, and worry about bumping into the wrong person around the campfire.

Almost Katie began to regret her demand. But no, she reminded herself, she would be glad of her choice in the end.

000

Katie had a horrible time sleeping that night, unaccustomed as she was to sleeping on the ground with no more than a blanket. In the end she bunched up her cloak and stuffed it under her head as a pillow, wrapping herself up in her blanket. She tried to do this all silently, so that she would not disturb the men sleeping nearby. For all her efforts, she came unwrapped in the middle of the night and awoke cold, with a stone digging into the back of her head.

Breakfast was a quick and cheerless affair, and Katie soon found herself rolling up her blanket and climbing stiffly back onto her horse. She was horribly sore from riding all of the day before. She hadn't ridden regularly since her last visit to Middle-earth more than a year ago, and she knew that she would be quite glad to go to bed that night, stony ground or not.

Elrohir led them east, into the North Downs. "Nobody goes here now but for the Rangers of the North," Aragorn told Katie quietly. "Eventually we hope to resettle this area, but…" He gestured to the land about them, and didn't need to finish his sentence. Katie could see that their surroundings were completely bare of any sign of humanity.

The North Downs were a chain of hills rising green and silent from the plains. A few trees grew there, and she could hear the sounds of small animals moving about. But there wasn't as much as a footpath or cart track to be seen. She suddenly wondered how many of the orcs the twins and the soldiers had found and killed.

She didn't want to ask Elrohir, but she was pretty sure Aragorn and Legolas would know. She edged over near Legolas when he was farther away from the other two, and asked him.

"Unfortunately, they do not believe they killed very many," Legolas answered gravely. "In fact, we have reason to believe that most of them are left. That is the reason we have brought so many soldiers along in the search party. We shall most likely meet with Orcs, and we are going to try to wipe them out. Elrohir gave you that knife for protection, did he not?"

Katie nodded. "I really hope I don't have to use it."

"I hope the same."

000

But though they hunted carefully through the North Downs for two days, they found no sign of the orcs—or of Elladan. They all began to worry. They had searched almost the entire length of the Downs, with no results.

"Elladan is cunning," Aragorn reminded Elrohir. "He has only hidden his tracks well from those fiends. You alone know how many times he has fought against the orcs—yes, and you have been in plenty of scrapes before this, and probably worse ones, at that."

"Yes, but then we were in them together," Elrohir answered shortly, and that ended the conversation.

They retraced the twins' movements from the time they reached the downs to the time they split up. Elrohir had gone northeast and Elladan southeast. They followed Elladan's tracks as far as they could. Then they found signs of a fight, with a confused mass of footprints covering the ground. It was not difficult to make out the hoof prints of Elladan's horse, which they followed far into the hills until they found the body of the horse itself, with orc-arrows in it.

The men wanted to stop and bury the horse, but they had no time. They carefully retraced the path of the horse back to the scene of the fight, looking for Elladan's footprints. They found none. Katie remembered that Elves were amazingly soft-footed, and could probably run lightly enough to leave no tracks if they so wished.

The search party turned off and followed the tracks of the retreating orcs, but eventually reached a rocky strip of land on which almost no tracks could be found. Orcs were cunning of necessity, and had masked their retreat.

Katie was beginning to feel extremely disheartened, not only at the lack of clues as to Elladan's whereabouts. She had demanded that they let her come along on the search, and now she was entirely useless. She had no idea where Elladan was, and was absolutely no help tracking him, as she had no skills in that direction. She wasn't even able to offer any hope to Elrohir, whose silence worried her. Had she made the wrong choice in asking to come along? She didn't know. She just hoped desperately that she wouldn't be involved in combat with the Orcs.

000

Katie woke in the middle of the night with a stone digging into her spine. She shifted and half sat up, planning to roll over and go back to sleep. The last few days had been hard for the entire search party—riding all day, straining their eyes in search of clues, and finding a disheartening lack of results. Katie was glad of sleep, even on pebbly, uneven ground. But her glance happened to fall on Elrohir, who was sitting on a fallen tree a short distance away, taking his turn at keeping watch.

His very posture spoke of defeat: he leaned his arms on his knees, and his head was sunk between his shoulders. Her heart went out to him, and without thinking she rose and picked her way quietly over to him. She took a seat beside him on the tree. Neither of them moved nor spoke for some minutes.

"I did not need to ride out with the soldiers," he said quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping men. "I could easily have stayed with you and helped you through your grief."

"Elrohir, I've told you before that you have nothing to apologize for," Katie remonstrated with him, equally quietly. "And your having stayed at Lake Evendim wouldn't have helped Elladan in the least."

"I am not thinking of Elladan; I am thinking of you," he answered.

Katie shook her head. "You had to go out and fight the orcs. I understand that, just as I understood when you had to ride out with the Rangers during the war."

"You do not understand," Elrohir answered without anger. "I did not _have_ to do anything of the sort. Elladan advised me to stay by the Lake, and even Legolas offered to take my place with the soldiers. But I went anyway."

Katie watched him, confused. Finally, he turned and looked at her.

"Do you know why my mother sailed to the Undying Lands?" he asked suddenly. Katie shook her head. Elrohir looked down at his hands and took a deep breath.

"About five hundred years ago, our mother was traveling from Rivendell to Lórien. She was waylaid by Orcs in the Redhorn Pass. Her escort was scattered by the sudden assault, and she was seized and carried off." He swallowed hard. "They tortured her in their filthy dens," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, and broken with pain. "Elladan and I went after her and found her. I will never forget it. We slew the Orcs at her very feet and then released her from her bonds—and she barely knew us. She shrank from us, and cried out when Elladan lifted her. She could not even bear the touch of her own sons!"

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "We took her home immediately. She had received a poisoned wound, and we thought for a time that we would lose her. Father healed her body, but in the end, we lost her anyway—to the Undying Lands. She lost all delight in Middle-earth, and would have died of grief had she not sailed.

"Elladan and I could never forget our mother's torment at the hands of the Orcs, and so for five hundred years we have ridden out against them, alone or with the Rangers of the North. It brings us no peace; it brings not our mother back to us; and yet, we cannot stop." He turned to face Katie, and his face in the fitful firelight was older than she had ever seen it. There were dark marks beneath his eyes, which were wet with unshed tears. His brow was lined in pain. "The Orcs took my mother from me, _Estel-oneth_; will they take my brother, as well?"

Tears of sympathy fell down Katie's cheeks, and without thinking she put her arms around him and held him close. Elrohir laid his head on her shoulder and wept, wrapping his arms about her as if he feared that all he loved would disappear from his grasp.

"I have no hope to give you," Katie whispered sadly. "I'm sorry." Elrohir shook his head, but could not speak.

They sat thus together for a long time.

**TBC**

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AN:** Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hugs all around! 

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: At one time I did intend to become a professional writer. I'd still like to get some stuff published. I've got a ton of ideas bouncing around in my head, and I'd like to revamp and complete this one series of stories I wrote in eighth and ninth grade. There's some awful stuff in them, but some decent material to work with, as well. Fanfiction has been a short detour for me (well, I guess "short" is subjective…). It's really given me a lot of good practice—I can tell how my writing has improved, just from the beginning of the series to this point! Thank you so much for the in-depth reviews; I really appreciate them!

**Thalion**: You're right: Elves have a very soothing and healing presence, I think.

**The Reviewing Llama**: No! Not… HOMEWORK! —_cue scary music_— I hear ya. I've got finals next week…

**Alenor Peredhel**: Let's see if I can explain this time thing… Imagine that Middle-earth time is actually, say, the 1800s. What Katie is actually doing therefore when she goes to Middle-earth, is traveling back in time. Let's say she leaves at noon on December 12, 2003, and finds herself in Middle-earth: June 4, 1822. She then spends a week in Middle-earth and leaves on June 11, 1822. Now theoretically, she could end up at any time in history, but these stories always have her coming back to exactly the time she left: December 12, 2003, at exactly noon. The only thing is, she has aged one week, because she spent a week in the past. I hope that helped; let me know if you're still confused. :)

**Darkened Dreams**: lol Yeah, it's inevitable.

**Madd Hatter**: lol —_shakes head_— Nopers! Not tellin'!

**Catalainya**: Thank you!

**Please review!**


	8. Deadmens Dike

They returned the next morning to the scene of the fight, and pored over it even more carefully than they had before. Katie stood back with most of the soldiers, watching the two Elves and Aragorn examining the ground. They covered the immediate area, then began working their way outward for several yards.

Suddenly Legolas gave a cry. "This way!" he said, and set off into the undergrowth. The others followed him. After a few yards their pace picked up and they began to march southwest.

Katie prayed desperately that they would find Elladan alive at the end of this trail. The situation seemed hopeful. But after following Elladan's trail for an hour, signs of a large troop of Orcs crossed Elladan's path and began to follow it.

"Did they catch up with him?" one of the soldiers asked.

A long silence followed as the trackers hunted for signs of Elladan's passage.

"No," Aragorn finally answered, pointing. "Elladan was ahead of them." The search party set off again.

000

They followed Elladan's trail for a few hours. Their progress was often interrupted by sudden stops when the trackers would have to hunt for the next clue, sometimes for as much as ten minutes.

"He has just barely left us a trail," Legolas mused. "Perhaps he thought it too risky with the Orcs so close behind him."

"They seem to have gotten closer and closer," Aragorn said darkly. "They were quite near to him at this point. Ah, and see, he evaded them again," he added as the Orc trail veered away from Elladan's own. The relief was only temporary, as the Orcs seemed to have soon worked their way back onto Elladan's trail.

"Their malice gave them keen eyes," Elrohir said bitterly.

"Why didn't they just give up? He was only one foe," Katie pointed out.

"But he was Elladan, son of Elrond," Elrohir answered her. "We have been dangerous enemies of the Orcs for centuries, and they know it. To take down one or both of us would be very much to their advantage."

Katie didn't know how to answer that.

000

It was beginning to grow dark, and Katie began to wonder when they would pitch camp. They were traveling faster now, as Elladan's path became a little easier to follow.

"He had to move faster for fear that the Orcs would catch up with him," Legolas explained. "He did not have time to take as much care on concealing his trail. Unfortunately, that made it easier for them to track him. It seems they were gaining on him."

Katie could feel the tension among the men as he said this, and she suddenly knew what it meant. They would not stop to camp this night; now that the trail was easier to find, they would continue on through the darkness. They all feared now that they were too late, and that the Orcs had caught up with their prey.

She heard Aragorn murmur, "We are nearly to the edges of the ruins."

"Ruins?" Katie asked apprehensively. "What ruins?"

"Deadmens Dike," Elrohir answered quietly.

Katie felt all the blood drain from her face. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Elrohir knew what she wanted to ask. "About two thousand years ago, the last realm of the Dúnedain of the North was destroyed by the armies of Angmar. Its capital was the city of Fornost. Since then, the city has lain in ruins, slowly decayed by the wind and rain and encroaching wilderness. Men now call it Deadmens Dike, and none go there but the Rangers of the North, like the rest of the Downs."

Katie nodded understanding. The ominous name had brought to her mind images she had successfully forgotten so recently. But she refused to dwell on them; she shook herself and turned her mind to other things.

000

The sun was down and the moon was bright in the dark summer sky by the time they reached Deadmens Dike, and they all halted at the sight.

Long, uneven mounds of earth, softened by sod and moss and grass, indicated where the outer walls of the city of Fornost had once stood against invasion. In the white moonlight they cast strange and eerie patterns of shadow on the ground.

"Come," Aragorn said, and urged his horse forward again.

They followed Elladan and the orcs' trail through a gap in the wall, where unnatural mounds declared where large stones had fallen from the fortifications.

Once inside the ruined city, the landscape was even stranger. Weird shapes of varying heights, blanketed in sod, stood about in every direction. Here and there trees had grown out at strange angles, and their rooms had split the very stones they stood in. What had once been streets were still visible: straight, level paths between the uneven hills of fallen buildings and raised foundations. It was oddly beautiful, but seeing it in the moonlight with the knowledge that there were orcs about, sent chills up Katie's spine. Every unusual shadow made her start, thinking she was seeing the form of an orc hiding among the mounds.

The search party followed Elladan and the orcs' trail down one street and another, pausing to find their way, or slowing to allow their horse to pick their way single-file through the litter of fallen stone.

They rode down one street and reached an intersection; they had the choice to turn left or right. Here the trackers easily followed Elladan's trail, and turned to the left. The rest of the search party followed them dutifully, but Katie halted her horse and stared up at the fallen wall straight before them.

Elrohir suddenly realized that Katie was not at the front of the line anymore, and turned in his saddle to look for her. She was sitting perfectly motionless, staring up at the ruined architecture while the single file of men picked their way through the rubble and rode past her.

Elrohir pulled up. "Katie?" he said, breaking the quiet. Katie turned and looked at him.

"We have to go to the right," she said clearly.

The other trackers pulled up and turned to stare at her and Elrohir. After a moment, Elrohir rode back to her, and looked up at the wall she had been scrutinizing. It was merely a twisted and stunted tree, growing up between a crack in some of the ancient stonework, its roots curling about the stone and grasping it like coils of rope, or snakes. There was nothing significant about it; there were many like trees in this ruin.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We have to turn right and follow this road," Katie repeated, gesturing the direction opposite that which the trackers had chosen.

"But Elladan's trail leads to the left," Elrohir told her.

"And we have to go right. Or, I do. No one has to come with me."

"Leave you alone in this ruin with orcs about? That would be madness!" Aragorn exclaimed.

"Katie, we have to go on and find Elladan," Legolas remonstrated.

Katie shook her head. "I'm going this way."

"Elrohir?" Aragorn said.

Elrohir scrutinized Katie's face for a long moment in the moonlight. "I will go with her," he said at last. "She is always sent here for strange purposes, and has never steered us wrong before." He turned to Aragorn. "Go on and turn right if you will."

"No," Aragorn said at last, "I trust her as well. Lead on, Katie."

Katie nodded and turned her horse. The search party fell in behind her.

Her heart was racing. Had she made the wrong choice? Just because she had had some strange dream, with a tree like that one, she was leading the entire search party away from Elladan's trail. Maybe the tree hadn't even been the same; perhaps she had confabulated the images, seeing something a little similar and filling in the gap in her fuzzy memory of the dream. And was it only a dream, after all, and meant nothing?

No. The presence of goodness in the dream had been unmistakable and unforgettable. She had made the right decision based upon reason, and now she must stick to it, no matter what doubts her emotions might throw up.

And what when she reached the end of the road? Where would she go then?

_That doesn't matter at this instant_, she thought. _I need only what I am given at each moment. My daily bread._

And what of the orcs?

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," she murmured under her breath. She didn't know whether Elrohir, riding closest to her, had heard or not.

They had not been on the ancient road long, when Legolas raised his head and said, "I hear orcs!"

Katie pulled back as the search party urged their horses into a gallop and thundered off after Legolas in the direction of the noise. She followed them more cautiously, her heart pounding in her ears.

At the end of the road, they met a clearing. By the time Katie had reached it, the rest of the party was already hard in battle with the orcs—dodging arrows, firing back, and slashing with their long swords. Katie stayed back in the shadows as well as she could, remembering her promise to Elladan. She didn't regret it in the least, and wondered if she could have fought the orcs right now even if she wanted to. The shrieks of orcs, screams of horses, and shouts of men filled her ears, as she watched, mesmerized by the carnage. Images of dead bodies in a field rose unbidden in her mind, and she felt her breathing seize up, feared she would drown in the rising tide…

But a startling sight met her eyes, and shocked her out of panic. Among the horsemen was a figure on foot, slashing at the orcs with a long elven knife. His right arm was in a filthy and slipshod sling and his hair had come down from its usual neat arrangement, but she knew him:

Elladan.

**TBC**

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AN: EVERYBODY MUST GO SEE NARNIA IN THEATERS. NOW. THIS IS AN ORDER. :) I saw it last night, and it was flipping fantastic! (And, for you fans out there, there was also a preview for Pirates of the Caribbean two!)**

**Darkened Dreams**: _smiles enigmatically_

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: Could you tell me which parts were incomplete thoughts or hard to follow? I want to make sure my writing has clarity. Thanks for the reminder about elven tracking skills; I used it in this chapter. Elladan purposefully doesn't leave many marks for fear the orcs will pick up on his trail more easily. One of these days I'll probably think about trying to get something published, but I'm really busy with college at the moment. My original plan was indeed to be a novelist and get a "real" job on the side at a publishing company. But now I've dropped that plan in favor of becoming a high school English teacher. I would still like to publish something, but I don't want to make it a career. Why did I change my mind? Well, it's a long story. :) I've also discovered that while I love a good poem and am pretty darned good at analyzing them, I suck at writing them. So short stories and novels for me! Thanks for all of your advice!

**Alenor Peredhel**: I agree; I enjoyed writing that last scene the best. Lots of times when I'm writing, I just invent good scenes, and then I have to slog through all the narrative that sets the scenes up. Which means I have a few really well-written and clearly described scenes, and then all the stuff in between is somewhat lacking in clarity and excitement. :)

Big thanks to everybody who reviewed!

**Please review** while I go study for my last final!


	9. The Post of the Foe

Elladan and Elrohir rode with their eyes on the ground, following their quarry. This was their second night in the North Downs. Already they had caught up with one small band of orcs and slain them, but they knew there were many more, including the larger band which had been responsible for the death of Elboron's guard.

"Ah, they split up here," Elladan said, pointing at the tracks. "Half of them went southwest—"

"—And half northeast," Elrohir agreed. "Shall we split up?"

Elladan deliberated for a moment, then nodded. "I will meet you back here in three hours, quarry found or no."

He and Elrohir shook hands. "Agreed," Elrohir responded with a grin. "And you said it yourself, _muindor-nín_—_Quarry found or no_!"

Elladan put on a hurt expression. "What are you suggesting?"

"That you will lose track of time and continue to hunt those orcs until the sun goes down in the sky! And I will be sitting here wondering where you are! You are notoriously bad about keeping our meetings when you are on the scent."

Elladan laughed. "You make me sound like a bloodhound!" He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender when Elrohir opened his mouth. "But I will meet you here on time; I promise!"

They both turned their horses and headed in opposite directions. "Don't _you_ be late!" he tossed over his shoulder, and just heard Elrohir's snort of indignation before his brother was lost to sight.

Elladan grinned and shook his head. Elrohir would never miss a rendezvous if it was at all possible. He was rational and collected. Elladan was more demonstrably passionate, more likely to follow his heart than his head. That was why they complimented one another so well.

It was also why Elladan was so puzzled over his twin's behavior a few days before, when Elrohir had insisted on riding off against the orcs rather than remaining in Lake Evendim with Katie. Elladan knew where Elrohir's heart lay, and it was with that young woman. So why had he chosen to hunt the orcs rather than comfort her?

The two brothers had been riding against the orcs together for centuries—to avenge their mother and to make safe their lands. But the lands were nearly safe, now. The orcs still existed, as this little outing proved, but their time was over and their numbers were dwindling fast. They all hoped to see the end of them within Aragorn's lifetime, or at least the lifetime of his heir. Was the thirst for revenge just so strong in Elrohir that he would not rest until he saw this destruction of their foe completed? Or did he seek revenge for the trauma Katie had gone through? Somehow, Elladan felt neither explanation seemed to fit his rational, cool-headed brother.

He shrugged. He had put the question off on their journey, but when these few bands of orcs were destroyed in the Downs and they headed home with their mission accomplished, he would pose the question to his twin and get an answer.

Elladan turned his attention back to the trail he was following. These were really very few orcs; the troop that had split up had been small to begin with. It would be no problem dispatching them. Their trail was easily followed, as well. Elladan put on a little more speed. He would finish off this troop, and reach the meeting place well ahead of his brother—just to surprise him!

000

Elladan tracked his quarry to a slightly more overgrown hollow in the Downs. He heard orc voices ahead, and whispered a command for silence to his horse, who bobbed her head as if she understood and were nodding. Elladan grinned and urged her forward with his knees, fitting an arrow to his bow.

He burst into the clearing and shot three orcs dead before they knew what had happened. He was aware that there were more orcs here than he had expected. They had met up with another troop, then. Good. He dispassionately shot an orc who was aiming at him; the orc's arrow flew wide as the creature fell with a screech.

Suddenly, more orcs poured into the clearing. That was when it happened. Elladan ducked sideways to avoid an orc-bolt. At that very instant, one of the creatures spooked his horse, who reared in fright. Caught off-balance, Elladan was thrown to the ground. He came down hands first, and landed on his right arm. There was a loud crack, and Elladan knew even before the pain hit that he had broken it.

But he had no time to succumb to the pain, which made it feel as if flames were licking his arm. He was in a dangerous situation. Surrounded by foes, he had lost his bow (not that he could draw it now, anyway), and his horse had bolted. Holding his broken arm close to his body, he dragged himself upright and drew the long knife he wore by his side. He engaged the orcs nearest him and dispatched a few quickly, but there were far too many now. Making a feint and chopping off a head, Elladan suddenly turned and fled into the forest before the orcs could gather themselves enough to follow. Drawing on his elven skills, he made himself blend into his surroundings and made as few tracks as he could.

He soon put good distance between himself and his pursuers, and began to take stock of his situation as he ran. If he turned around in a big circle and headed northeast, he might be able to catch up with Elrohir. But it was a big if. He didn't know exactly where his brother was heading, nor did he know the Downs well enough to follow him without undue uncertainly, which would cause delay. He could not afford delay. He had managed to get a head-start on these orcs, but it would not last.

Then an answer came to him: Deadmens Dike. It would be a long run, and his arm was complaining loudly from the jostling it had gotten already, but there was nothing for it. In Deadmens Dike he might be able to hide out and elude the orcs for some time. He had been there before; there were a very few pieces of architecture which were still basically intact, and might provide hiding places. He only hoped Elrohir would know where to look for him.

_It seems I am going to be late for a rendezvous again, Brother,_ he thought ironically.

000

By the time Elladan reached the ruined city it was nearly dawn, and the strange shapes of Deadmens Dike rose against a gray sky. His broken arm sent waves of agony through him with every jolt, but he didn't dare slow his pace—the orcs were catching up. A little comfort lay in the thought that they would soon leave him alone as they sought shelter from the sun. He only hoped they didn't intend to shelter the same place he did.

Elladan ran into the ruined city without pausing, and careered down street after street, scanning the ruins with keen eyes for any possible hiding place. There seemed to be none. He was sure he was almost starting to run in circles now, and his arm was on fire. Skidding around a corner, he slid on a loose stone and fell, landing on his arm. For a moment, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't make a single sound. It was only through sheer willpower and terror of the orcs that he managed to hold back the cry that would bring them running to him. Tears of agony and panic pouring down his cheeks, he raised his head—only to see, just before him, a small gap in some stones. It would be a cramped space to hide in, but it was big enough and secure enough. Automatically, Elladan hauled himself to his feet, using the wall next to him for support. Then he ran a few more steps past the tiny cave to make misleading tracks for the orcs, then doubled back and slipped into the crevice.

It was not a moment too soon. The instant he was settled and silent in the cave, he could hear the sound of orc feet pounding past his hiding place. To his immense relief, they followed his fake trail. And the sun would be rising soon; they would give up the hunt to seek shelter from the Yellow Eye.

000

Elladan waited in complete stillness for a very long time, making sure that the orcs wouldn't return and find him unprepared. Now that he had stopped running, he realized exactly how exhausted he was—not from the exercise, which alone would not have normally bothered him, but from the combination of pain and fear which had driven him so hard the past several hours.

His respite also gave him the leisure to notice exactly how much his broken arm was throbbing. When all was still and he had decided that the sun must be up and his pursuers retired, Elladan began the slow and excruciating process of dealing with his arm.

With careful movements, he was eventually able to remove his outer and inner tunics and take a good look at his injury. To his immense relief, he saw that the bone was in place and would not need set. But how was he to immobilize it? There was nothing here that he could use to make a splint—not a single stick of wood within easy reach of his hiding place. Though he had lost his bow, there were still arrows in his quiver, but he might very well need those later on.

His vambrace would make a good enough splint itself, he decided. He usually only wore on his left arm, to protect his forearm from the use of his bow and arrow. After gingerly shrugging on his outer tunic, Elladan laced his vambrace tightly over his broken forearm. The pressure hurt a little, but his arm felt much more secure. Once that was done, he used his good arm and his teeth to rip his under-tunic up and make a sling to further immobilize his injured limb. When Elladan was at last satisfied with his work, he set his mind to deciding what to do next.

His most pressing need right now was to escape this little cave and his pursuers. Elladan took a few deep breaths to steady himself, said a prayer to Elbereth, and slipped out of the cave.

It did not take him long to find the orcs. There were a few of them in every shaded spot he found. They knew that he had entered the Dike, and were determined not to let him escape it alive. There were more orcs than he could imagine being able to take on single-handedly in this condition. Elladan crept back to his cave. There was no escape from Deadmens Dike.

**TBC**

* * *

**AN:** I'm home for Christmas break! Took my last final this morning, then drove home in the snow.

**crazycatluver**: I'm aware of that awful rule. Unfortunately, many people (likeyourself_ahem_) either don't have an account or don't sign in, and then there's no reply button for me to use to reply to them! So the replies have to go here.

For **DarkenedDreams** and anybody else who wants to know: Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest (sounds like Deadmens Dike, don't it? Three cheers to Tolkien for coming up with such a freaking awesome place name!) is coming out in July 7th (my pirates-obsessed friend tells me that's in about 205 days!) And… Are you sitting down?... They are currently filming _Pirates of the Caribbean **Three**!_ That's right, folks, you heard it here first. Don't believe me? Check imdb dot com!

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: I don't know much about tracking, so I couldn't add a whole lot of interest to that part of the chapter, unfortunately. You will find Fornost on any map of Middle-earth. The story of its fall is in the appendices to Return of the King, and is fascinating. The term 'downs' refers to the rolling hills—they should actually be treeless hills, which I didn't think about as I was writing this! They're sparsely populated because all of Arnor is sparsely populated at this point—ever since its fall at the hands of the Witch-king of Angmar. Thanks!

**Madd Hatter**: Good luck on finals!

**Erasuithiel**: Poison, hm? You're giving me ideas… lol Manders sounds like a blast!

Huge thanks to all who reviewed! You're what's keeping me going in tough spots!

**Please review!**


	10. One Fight More

Katie watched, mesmerized, as the search party and Elladan fought off the orcs. She was so shocked by the appearance of her friend that she no longer felt afraid.

The band of orcs was surprisingly large—apparently, a couple of troops of them had gathered together for safety in the Downs. This must surely be the sum total of the horrid creatures. More poured in as Katie watched. They came from every direction, as if they had been all drawn to this place to finish off Elladan once and for all.

The search party was large, well-armed, and highly skilled, and they killed off their foes one by one. The last orc fled shrieking into the undergrowth, and Legolas' bow sang. The orc fell soundlessly.

In the silent pause after the battle, Elrohir swung off his horse and took four quick strides over to Elladan, catching him up in his arms and holding him tightly, careful of his injured arm. They were both perfectly still for a long moment, and Katie smiled, tears springing into her eyes. Their faces were hidden by the curtain of their long, black hair, but their body language said it all. Katie saw the men around them exchange relieved and joyful looks.

Finally, Elrohir stepped back and took a long look at his brother. Elladan did look pretty terrible, now that Katie had the leisure to observe him. He was covered in mud, and his hair was loose and tangled. Even in the patchy moonlight, he looked pale, and there were half-circles under his eyes, dark as bruises. His right arm was in a sling and he held it closely to himself. He had fought with his left, and still clung to his long knife, which was now covered in orc blood. He was completely exhausted.

"I thought you were dead," Elrohir said, his voice rough with emotion.

Elladan gave a jaunty half-grin. "You cannot think to get rid of me that easily, _muindor-nín_!" he answered, but even as he spoke, his eyes shut and his knees gave beneath him. Elrohir caught his brother easily and supported his weight on his shoulder. His face showed grave concern, but Elladan didn't see it, his eyes shut with utter exhaustion.

Aragorn had dismounted and now led Elrohir's horse over, helping Elrohir to situate his brother in the saddle. Elrohir swung up behind Elladan and supported him as they rode out of the rubble.

"We need to set up camp to see to his injuries," Aragorn said quietly. "It is probably best we do that _outside_ of Deadmans Dike."

Elladan startled them all by speaking, his voice scratchy from thirst. "Yes, _please_," he said emphatically, leaning back gratefully into his brothers' arms.

000

They set up camp not far from the walls of Fornost. After taking care of her horse, Katie immediately went in search of some wood for the fire. Elrohir and Aragorn would need to light to see to Elladan properly. The soldiers soon had the fire blazing away, and Elladan was seated next to it when Katie returned from her self-appointed errand. Two of the soldiers had slipped out to hunt, and returned with a brace of rabbits. They would usually have made do with the food they had brought, but Elladan's food supply had been found with the body of his horse, and it was a good bet that he hadn't had much to eat in the past week. He would need a good broth or some soup to drink, not the heavy traveler's bread they had for themselves.

When Katie returned from helping the soldiers fetch water from a nearby spring, Aragorn and Elrohir were occupied with splinting Elladan's forearm. She took a seat nearby, and one of the soldiers handed her a bowl of soup. She thanked him and silently watched the tableau unfold before her as she ate.

Elladan drank greedily as Aragorn carefully positioned his splint. "What happened to you?" Elrohir asked his twin quietly, refilling his cup with clear water.

"I was thrown from my horse, and I landed on my arm," Elladan answered between gulps. "I knew I was not in any sort of shape to fight, so I made a hasty retreat. They followed me."

Elrohir nodded. "We know. We followed your trail all the way through the Downs and into Fornost."

One of the soldiers handed Elladan a bowl of the stew, and Elladan supped it hungrily.

"I found a place to hide in the ruins," he explained, wincing a little as Aragorn tied his splint off securely. His face turned greyish, and his voice dropped so that Katie had to strain to hear him. "I do not know how they did not find me. I was there for… I do not even know how long. It was more than a week. I had little water and no food, and hardly even dared to leave my tiny cave in the sunlight—the orcs had posted sentinels all about the Dike.

"Then tonight, they all began to gather nearby: I think they finally figured out where I was hiding, and planned to attack. I knew there was nothing for it—I had to make a stand and go down fighting, or be killed in my hole like a frightened rabbit." He locked eyes with Elrohir. "I was certain I was going to die. You came at exactly the right moment. I believe that was all of the orcs in the Downs—you killed them all. Had you come just a few minutes later…"

His voice trailed off. Elrohir leaned his forehead against his twin's temple and shut his eyes, as if reminding himself that Elladan really was alive and well and with him again. After a minute he pulled back and said, "It was Katie's doing that we found you in time. We were going to follow your trail, which headed in the other direction. She led us straight to you."

"Katie?" Elladan looked surprised, and glanced around. His gaze fell on Katie, who smiled softly at him. "I did not even know you were there!" he exclaimed, then bit back a yawn.

"Here," Elrohir said quietly, "let me try and get some of these knots out of your hair." He pulled out a comb and began carefully working his way through the tangles in his brother's hair. The men began drop their voices so that their conversation would not disturb their weary comrade. Long before Elrohir was finished, Elladan's eyelids drooped and he fell asleep, leaning against his twin.

Aragorn took the bowl of stew from his hands before he dropped it. "It seems it has all finally caught up with him," he said quietly. "His eyes are closed," he observed a moment later.

"He is exhausted," Elrohir agreed softly. "It is a miracle the orcs never found him—and that we reached him on time." He glanced over at Katie, who returned his gaze calmly.

"Well," Legolas said, sitting down on Katie's other side, "at least we finally wiped out these orcs. They will menace the area no longer."

Katie nodded. "I'm very relieved about that," she agreed feelingly. "I'm not sure I understand why there were so many of them here to begin with."

"They are being driven out of the South," Legolas answered, careful to keep his voice low so that he didn't disturb Elladan. "The orcs have pretty much been wiped out of Ithilien, thanks to Prince Faramir and King Elessar." He and Aragorn exchanged a smile. "There are fewer and fewer places where the orcs can hide, and it seems they believed the unpopulated North to be one of them. They were wrong."

"Their own violence and hatred doomed them," Aragorn said quietly. "Had they not attacked Elboron's caravan, we might not have made such an immediate push to find and destroy them." Katie suppressed a shiver.

Legolas wasn't fooled. "You are weary; we all are. Go rest now."

Katie nodded, and unpacked her bedroll, settling down for the night.

000

Katie was woken abruptly in the middle of the night by a shout. It took a moment for her to register what was going on. Then she realized what it was they had shouted.

"Orcs!"

She tried to jump to her feet, but got tangled up in her blanket. When she had finally gained her feet, everything about her was chaos. There were men running everywhere, shouts of panic, the clash of swords, the screech of orcs. She was getting very sick of that sound.

It seemed they had _not_ killed the last of the orcs in that skirmish; there was this final troop to fight. Katie wanted to help, but she had a pretty good idea of exactly how useless she would be in a battle. And she had promised Elrohir she would stay out of the action. Grabbing her long knife and belting it on quickly, Katie made her way toward the edge of the camp as quickly and unobtrusively as she could.

"Elladan!"

Katie wheeled around at the sound of Elrohir's voice, raised in a battleground shout. Elladan was a short distance away, fighting an orc with his good hand. But Katie could see that his motions were slow, almost sluggish, and his balance was bad. Elrohir was struggling to get to him through the fray, but wasn't making any progress.

As Katie watched, the orc knocked the knife out of Elladan's hand. Elladan stumbled and fell, catching himself on his good hand. The orc took that opportunity to kick his broken arm. Elladan crumpled with a cry of pain, and the orc lifted his sword with a wicked cackle—

Katie didn't even realize that she was running toward them until she was almost there, shouting. She had drawn her long knife; the firelight flashed off its blade. Reaching the orc, she swung it as hard as she could with both hands and gave an almighty yell.

**TBC**

**

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AN:** A little short, but if I finished out the three pages, I wouldn't be able to stop on a cliffie, would I? —_grins maliciously_— 

**Skye**: lol Hmm… let Dan live and eat chocolate… or let Dan die and don't eat chocolate… You know, I'm not a huge chocolate fan, really… lol

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: I should probably read that passage with the physical description of the Downs. Which chapter is it in?

Thanks for all your reviews! The full mailbox really made my morning. :)

**Please review!**


	11. Turns the Best

Elrohir saw Elladan fighting the orc, saw him fall. Then he himself was attacked by two orcs at once, and had to concentrate on his own fight. When he had a moment to look again, Elladan had disappeared.

Elrohir engaged orc after orc in battle, always keeping one eye out for his brother. If the orcs had taken him, just after he thought he had him safe again… He wasn't sure what he would do.

He also hoped Katie was alright. She was nowhere to be seen, which hopefully meant she had found a safe place away from the fighting and was staying there.

The noise of battle finally quieted across the field as the last orcs were swiftly despatched. Elrohir lowered his sword and looked around at his comrades.

There were a number of wounded; he and Aragorn would have their hands full patching them up. But there must not have been any men killed; it seemed they were all there—all except Elladan and Katie.

"Elladan!" he called desperately.

000

Katie struck the orc on the neck, and it seemed to her in that horrifying moment that its head seemed to move loosely from its shoulders, black blood spraying everywhere. It crumpled without a sound at Elladan's feet.

"Quick!" she said, sticking her sword clumsily back into its sheath. She grabbed Elladan's knife with one hand and hauled him to his feet by his good arm with the other, then half-coaxed, half-dragged him out of the battle and to the shelter of a small copse of trees.

When he caught his breath, he took his knife from her and moved to run back and help his comrades.

"No!" Katie caught him across the chest with both hands and struggled to hold him back. "They're fine! You're no good to them wounded and exhausted!"

"I have to—have to help Elrohir!" he panted.

"You'll help him a lot more by surviving!" she countered sternly. "It almost killed him when he thought you were dead before. Stay here and keep yourself safe!"

Elladan stopped struggling and looked at her blankly. Suddenly, his knees seemed to give way, and he slumped to the ground.

"Elladan?" Katie asked in panic.

He waved her off. "I am fine, _gwathel-nín_," he protested breathlessly. "I am just a little more winded than I thought." He turned his attention back to the battle, seeking out Elrohir's shape in the firelight.

Katie suddenly felt extremely ill, now that they were out of the immediate danger and her adrenaline rush had slowed. Weak-kneed, she bent over and retched into the high grass.

"Katie?"

"I'm fine," she managed after a moment, trying to make her words lighter by imitating him. "I'm just more winded than I thought."

000

"Elladan?" Elrohir called, panicked. "_Elladan!_"

"Right behind you, Brother," Elladan called back

Relief flooded back through Elrohir so intensely that he felt his legs wouldn't hold him up. He had to lean on his sword as Elladan and Katie appeared from their hiding place beneath a copse of trees. Both of them looked pale and grim, but whole.

"Elrohir!" Aragorn called from nearby, and he had to sheath his sword and move quickly to help with the wounded.

A few of the soldiers had deep cuts which would need sutured. Aragorn and Elrohir set to work at once. Legolas directed the uninjured soldiers to help their wounded comrades and clear the orc bodies away from the immediate area.

Katie stood in the middle of the camp as if entranced, watching the proceedings vaguely.

"Katie? Katie, come sit down," Elladan said gently.

Katie shook herself and looked up at him. "No, I'll help," she volunteered, and moved over to Elrohir to hand him bandages.

Elrohir finished suturing a soldier's arm, and took the bandages abstractedly. He paused, noticing blood on the white cloth.

"Katie, you are hurt!" he exclaimed.

Katie stared down at her left hand. There were small slices in her thumb and first two fingers.

"Wow," she said vaguely. "When did I do that?"

Elrohir mistrusted the look on her face; she looked like she was going to pass out. "Katie, _mellon-nín_, sit down," he said gently. She obeyed promptly, and he gave her a clean cloth to press against her hand until it stopped bleeding.

"I think I must've cut it when I sheathed my knife," she said as Elrohir finished bandaging up the soldier's arm. Her voice sounded much clearer and stronger.

"Your knife?" Elrohir said in surprise. "Did you have to use it?"

Elladan managed a chuckle. "You should have seen her, _muindor-nín_! She ran over, shouting like a madwoman, and cut that orc's head right off!"

Katie shuddered. "_Ce mae_?" Elrohir asked her in concern.

She managed a weak smile. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "There, it's stopped bleeding," she said, looking down at her hand.

"Katie," Elladan said gently, "do you know what this means?" She frowned at him, confused. "You are a hero. You saved my life."

Katie leaned away, appalled. "No-oo—no, I'm not a hero," she said, looking very uncomfortable. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a grin. "I was terrified! I threw up in the bushes!"

Elrohir laughed. "That is what most soldiers do in their first battle."

Katie continued to protest. Laughing, Elladan leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, _mellon-nín_."

Katie blushed and smiled. "_Sa 'ell nîn_," she said quietly.

Elrohir stood. "These bodies must be cleared away and burnt, and then I think we should move camp," he suggested to Aragorn and Legolas, who had come over to hold conference with him. "We could all use a good night's sleep."

"I agree with that whole-heartedly," Elladan said feelingly, unconsciously cradling his arm.

"You must let me have a look at that," Aragorn said, kneeling beside him. Elladan gave in without an argument.

"Elrohir?" Katie said in a small voice as the elf was turning to get to work. He looked down at her. "Please tell me there are no more orcs out here?" she said plaintively.

Elrohir smiled widely. "There are no more orcs out here, _Estel-oneth_."

"Good," she said, and closed her eyes wearily.

000

Arwen and a number of her guests were seated in a comfort able sitting room. Arwen and Mistress Rose both stitched silently while the children played quietly nearby. Elanor was entertaining Elboron. They had become fast friends since Elboron's arrival. Little Rose, Pippin, Goldilocks and Ham were playing with a set of wooden blocks and trying to keep Daisie from putting them in her mouth.

Arwen put down her sewing and stared abstractedly into the middle distance. Mistress Rose looked at her with some concern. It had been almost a week since the King and Lord Elrohir had ridden off in search of Lord Elladan, and the Queen was quite anxious about her husband and brothers.

Hiding the worry in her voice, Mistress Rose said comfortably, "I am sure they will be back soon. Daisie, Darling, blocks are not for eating."

Arwen looked over at her small guest and forced a smile. "Yes. You are right. They are all doughty warriors, with many years' experience behind them."

"_Many_ years," Rose said with a smile, and Arwen managed a more genuine smile in return.

"What is that sound?" Elanor asked, looking up from where she was sitting with Elboron.

Now that she listened, Mistress Rose could hear servants bustling about and exclaiming outside the room. In a moment, a maid entered and curtsied quickly.

"What is all the excitement about, Gelladareth?" Arwen asked her.

"The search party has returned, My Lady!" Gelladareth answered excitedly.

Arwen and Rose put down their stitchery and flew toward the entrance hall as fast as decorum would permit. "Elanor, watch the children!" Rose called over her shoulder.

Arwen quickly outdistanced her guest in her distraction, and Rose found her at the doors, scanning the approaching riders for her loved ones. "There he is!" she cried when she found her husband in the front. "And Elladan!"

In a moment, Rose picked out the tall figures of Aragorn and the Queen's brothers. Elladan's right arm was in a sling and he held the reins in the other hand. As they came closer, Rose saw that Katelyn Elvellon rode behind Elrohir, with Legolas beside them. They had all returned!

As soon as they pulled up and dismounted, Arwen embraced her husband and her brothers in quick succession. "Oh, but you are hurt!" she exclaimed.

"A broken arm; nothing more," Elladan hastened to reassure her. "Careful, _muinthel-nín_, you will dirty your dress," he added as she gave him another relieved hug.

"And what does that signify, pray?" she declared, laughing and hugging her husband again. "We have you all back safely. Elboron will be glad to see that you have returned," she added to Katie. "He has been asking after you ever since you left! He seems to know you were responsible for saving him."

"She was responsible for saving many more than him," Elladan said, putting his hand on Katie's shoulder. Katie blushed and ducked her head with a smile.

"That story will wait until you are all rested, and yes, cleaner!" Rose interjected. "Into the house, all of you!"

They all laughed and moved to obey her.

**TBC

* * *

**

**AN:**

_Ce mae?_—Are you alright? (Sindarin Phrasebook)

_Sa 'ell nîn._—My pleasure. (Sindarin Phrasebook)

_Gelladareth_ is a Sindarin translation of _Abigail_. (Council of Elrond Name Database)

My brother graduated from college this morning, and this evening is our extended family Christmas party!  
Thanks to everybody who reviewed; you're keeping me from being too bored over break!

**Please review!**


	12. Fear Death

In the end, the entire search party went to their quarters and had baths, then went to bed—despite the early hour. They could all use the sleep, Elladan in particular. Elrohir made sure his twin had something to eat before going to sleep, however.

Elladan climbed into bed, and Elrohir shut his curtains against the bright afternoon sunlight.

"There was something I meant to ask you before the whole orc disaster," Elladan said sleepily.

"Oh?" Elrohir responded absently as he made sure the curtains would not swing open and let in too much light.

"Yes. Why did you come out hunting orcs when Katie needed you here?" Elladan asked bluntly.

Elrohir turned and squinted at his brother in the dark.

Elladan continued, "You needn't tell me if you do not wish to. But I think it is something you will have to explain to Katie."

Elrohir nodded. "You are right. It was very wrong of me—and I will tell you when you are more in shape for the conversation!" He started toward the door, then turned back for a moment. "Elladan?"

"Mmm?" Elladan managed, half-asleep already.

"I am glad you are safe, _muindor-nín_," Elrohir said softly, and gently kissed his brother's forehead.

Elladan mumbled in reciprocation, and was asleep before Elrohir had slipped from the room.

000

"When can Katie come and see me?" Elboron asked for the thousandth time.

Arwen laughed. "Soon, Elboron, soon! Oh look, here she is now!"

"Katie!"

Katie, having just walked into the sitting room, laughed and picked him up, careful of his splinted leg. "Good morning, Elboron! Did you behave yourself while I was gone?"

Elboron nodded. "Elanor and Pippin and I made cookies," he divulged.

"And what a mess he and Pippin made of the flour!" Elanor said with a laugh. "It's a mighty good thing Cook took to the two of them, or he'd never let us in the kitchen again!"

Elrohir watched them chat with a smile on his face. Katie was looking very cheerful and healthy this morning. He had not had leisure nor the chance to observe the fruits of her recovery yet, and was pleased with what he saw. She felt him looking at her and smiled in his direction before returning to her conversation.

"Do your parents know you arrived at the Lake?" she asked Elboron.

"Yes," Arwen answered her, "and we sent a messenger yesterday to let them know that the orcs have been cleared from the area, but the earlier message will reach them first. I believe Princess Éowyn may come to visit when she hears the news of Elboron's arrival."

"She is not one to flinch at the thought of meeting orcs!" Elladan agreed with a laugh, appearing in the door. He also looked better this morning—much more rested than before, in clean clothes and with a proper sling on his arm. He was greeted with as much excitement as Katie. Arwen and Katie made him sit down, and Mistress Rose fussed over his arm.

"No Elf, Man, or Hobbit ever had so many nurses—nor such charming ones!" he exclaimed with a grin, winking at Elanor. She laughed.

"I hope you enjoy it, for everyone will fuss over you even more tonight!" Arwen said mischievously.

"Oh? What's tonight?" Katie wanted to know.

"The Queen is holding a feast to honor the soldiers and the search party!" Elanor told her with excitement.

Katie's expression was an interesting mix of excitement and apprehension. "That should be fun!" she managed.

000

Elrohir caught up with Katie in the hall soon after lunch, and screwed his courage to the sticking place. "Katie, could I speak to you?" he asked.

"Oh. Sure!" she answered, and accompanied him out into the garden. Elrohir found them a shaded seat in which to shelter from the warm afternoon sun.

"I know we spoke of this before," he began, "but nothing was really concluded." He took a deep breath. "I want to apologize sincerely for my behavior. You have said I have nothing to apologize for, but you are only being kind. It was wrong of me to ride off and hunt the orcs while you were bereaved. You needed me here."

There was a long pause, and finally Katie nodded. "Yes. I did need you." She regarded him for a long moment. "Why did you go with them, then, if you didn't need to?"

Elrohir stared down at his hands. "Elladan asked me the same question yesterday. I think it was because… I was afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"Of losing those I love," Elrohir said softly. "Ever since we came so close to losing my mother at the hands of the orcs… In some sense I was motivated to hunt the orcs for revenge, as Elladan was. But then, it became something more than that. Both of us stopped hunting them for revenge in the end. Elladan hunts them now because it is a necessity—they need to be removed for the good of Middle-earth. But I hunt them because I fear them. I fear the death of those I love." He turned and looked at Katie. "I allowed my fear of the orcs to drive me away from you. In fearing to lose my loved ones, I made a decision that might have caused me to lose you." His steady grey eyes gazed into hers, unflinching. "That is why I must ask your forgiveness."

Katie felt a sudden urge to hold him again as she had the night he had wept for his brother. But instead she summoned a warm smile. "I forgive you."

Elrohir leaned over and gave her a hug. "Thank you." He leaned back again and changed the subject. "Why do I get the feeling that you are not entirely delighted about Arwen's plans for this evening? Do you not like the idea of people honoring you?"

"_Me?_" she exclaimed. "What's there to honor _me_ for?"

"For leading us to find Elladan?" Elrohir suggested playfully. "For saving his life? For standing up to him when he wanted to rejoin the fight in his weakened condition?" Katie looked up at him, startled. "Elladan told me," he explained.

"I should've known," Katie muttered.

Elrohir laughed. "Yes, you should have. He said you were surprisingly forceful. But let's not change the subject! There is a great deal we have to thank you for." He frowned at her. "I never did ask you—how did you know where to look for Elladan?"

Katie looked thoughtful. "I had a dream while you were gone. Somebody came and talked to me—they healed me of the 'war horrors'. And then, they showed me that tree and told me that when I saw it, I had to turn to the right and follow the road." She shrugged. "That was all. So I did it."

Elrohir was fascinated. "Who was this person? Did you see them? What did they look like?"

"I saw them, but I don't think it was who it appeared to be. They looked like Galadriel at first, then they looked like someone else, then like Galadriel again, but…" She unconsciously lowered her voice. "I think those were just forms they took. Honestly? I think it was an Ainu."

Elrohir's eyes widened, but in a moment, he nodded. "That sounds reasonable."

They were both silent for a long time in wonder. Finally Elrohir said, "You said they looked like 'someone else'. Who?"

Katie shook her head. "I don't know. Another form I was to find comforting; someone I could have confidence in. She looked a lot like Galadriel, but her hair was straight as a pin, and _silver_."

Elrohir visibly paled. "She looked like Galadriel?"

"Yes." Katie's eyes widened. "You don't think—"

Elrohir looked amazed. "The Ainu took the form of… my mother," he whispered.

000

The feast that night was a great event. Elladan told how he had ended up in Deadmens Dike, and then the King told the story of how they had found him. The most dramatic part of this recitation was when he related how Katie had guided them to Elladan at exactly the right time to save him. Katie, embarrassed, dropped her eyes as he told this. Then she felt something: Elrohir, sitting next to her, had caught her hand and was holding it under the table. As she looked up at him, he winked and smiled. She smiled back, and listened to the rest of the story with tolerable serenity. When they toasted her at the end, she even managed to nod graciously in thanks. In turn, she toasted the search party who, she said, "did all the actual searching _and_ fighting, and even had the forbearance to put up with _me!_" The men all protested this last part good-naturedly, but accepted her toast.

Katie enjoyed the festivities far more than she thought she would. After a magnificent feast (she wondered how Arwen had managed to organize it all on such short notice) there was music and dancing. Legolas and the twins convinced her to join in on a few of the simpler dances, and she whirled around in the arm of one friend after another. A few of the guests sang, including Elanor, who had a pure and sweet voice. Even Sam was convinced to stand up and "say a piece"—it was, in fact, a humorous poem he had come up with right off the cuff! Katie decided it was one of the best parties she had ever been to.

When it began to get very late, the guests all started to drift away to their own rooms. Elrohir walked Katie to her door, and kissed her hand. "Sleep well," he said, still holding her fingers.

"Sweet dreams," she answered with a smile. Then he was gone.

**TBC**

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AN:** Congrats to those who guessed the silver-haired _elleth_ was Celebrían! Congrats to those who guessed the silver-haired was Celebrían! 

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: Yep, I celebrate Christmas: the "anniversary of the birth of a child"—the Creator entering the Creation to heal it from beginning to end, and in the process fulfilling all paganism as the Dying God. I thought Hinduism was the oldest religion in the world? Ah yes, the Barrow Downs. Different Downs. I _did_ wonder! The description of them is probably similar to that of the North Downs, then. I really need to reread LotR… —_blushes_— No need to worry about my brother; for the most part, he has both feet solidly on the ground. And he needn't pack up anything, as he lived at home while going to college. It's funny that chapter 11 seemed short to you. All my chapters are a little over three pages in Word, and that one had fewer space-wasting breaks than some! One question answered, and the rest should be answered in the next couple chapters!

**Darkened Dreams**: What would I do without cliffhangers? They're the spice of my life! lol

**Thank you** to everybody who reviewed; **please do so again**! **Merry Christmas all!**


	13. Thou Soul of my Soul

The next few days were some of the happiest in Katie's life. She was surrounded by loved ones and good company in a positively stunning locale. And always, there was the delight of the company of elves, a delight which would never cloy. Beauty of face and form was everywhere she looked, and their pure voices singing over the lake in the evenings… In short, she felt she was in absolute heaven.

One late afternoon, as the sun was sinking low in the sky, Elrohir and Katie went for a walk by the lake. The breeze blew softly, ruffling the water and tossing their hair about in the golden sunlight.

They joked and laughed as they walked away from the palace, talking of nothing important whatsoever. Some way from their point of departure, they stopped and looked back at the King's house, sitting by the lake. It was a masterpiece of architecture, and both of them drew a breath of delight at the sight of it, shining in the sunlight like a white shell by the water.

Elrohir took Katie's hand and drew her a little nearer to him. "Katelyn, there is something which I have been wanting to say to you for some time."

Katie's heart gave a little jump in her chest as she looked up at him. His gray eyes were solemn and joyful in his handsome face, and his black hair, straight as a silk curtain, moved slightly in the breeze. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, then turned it and laid a kiss in the palm of her hand. She caught her breath at the intimacy of the gesture.

"Katelyn Elvellon, _Estel-oneth_—" He paused, and gathered his words. "Katie, I love you more than anyone that I have ever known. …Will you marry me?"

Katie felt like she had stopped breathing. She had known this was coming, but now that it was here… She felt hot tears start into her eyes, and she bit her lip, turning from him.

"What is it, Beautiful?" Elrohir asked.

"Oh, don't—please don't!" she pleaded. "We _can't_, Elrohir!" But she didn't try to move away from him.

"Why can we not?" Elrohir asked reasonably, as if he had expected this reaction, which indeed he had.

"Why not? There are a million reasons! You are an Elf, and I am a Human woman. Even Finrod said it in the _Athrabeth— if any marriage can be between our kindred and thine, then it shall be for some high purpose of Doom. Brief it will be and hard at the end. Yea, the least cruel fate that could befall would be that death should soon end it_." It proved how often she had thought about this, that she knew the passage by heart.

"Ah, but I am not fully Elven, as Aikanár was. And Andreth was a Woman of Men—you are not," Elrohir pointed out.

Katie turned startled eyes on him. "I'm _not?_ Well, what _am_ I, then?" she demanded.

"You are a Woman Remade," Elrohir said softly.

Katie bit her lip and shook her head, but he persisted. "You think it makes no difference. But the difference is very great. You are something the same and yet altogether different than what Andreth was. She had no Hope. You are the Hope-giver. And you have given that Hope to me, so that death is not such a cruel fate to us as it was to them. In fact, it will become indeed the Gift it was meant to be.

"And pity you will not have from me, as Andreth would have had from Aikanár. For though your Form may grow old and stooped, still your Spirit will be brighter than that of any Elf. Though you might hobble along on two sticks, with your hair all thin and white and your teeth all fallen out—" he was laughing gently, and she began to chuckle too through her tears, in spite of herself. "Still I will call you the Most Beautiful Being on Arda. You are more beautiful than even Galadriel, pure though she is. She is the old beauty, the morning star of the first day. But the joy when the first night turns again to the first dawn!— You are the Beauty Reborn."

Katie looked up at him, a desperate hope in the pit of her stomach. She had always known love was supposed to give you butterflies in your stomach; she didn't know it was supposed to make you feel like you were going to puke.

"You fear the death of those you love, Elrohir. It is almost certain that I will die before you. Will you be able to bear it?"

His face was solemn. "Even if I lose you and all I love, still I will Hope—still I will trust in the purposes of the One. I may release my spirit and fly to the Halls of Mandos, and there await the end of time, but I know that when Time and Arda end, I will meet you again, and there will we two and all those we love will walk together in Arda Remade. I am a slave no more to despair. Sorrow may loom over me, but despair shall bind me not. It has lost that power forever. The good news your grandmother and you brought to us has broken its power."

They both stood in thoughtful silence for a long time as the sun began to go down and the purple lights of evening glowed over the lake.

"It is possible," Katie at last conceded. "But there are still things that might hold us back. You would have to give up your immortality to marry me, I think."

"That decision has already been made."

Katie started and stared up at him in alarm.

"When our father made ready to sail over the sea, Elladan and I remained behind. We have never said as much, but we have decided to remain forever."

"But—you'll never see your father again—or your mother! I know how much you miss her."

Elrohir nodded. "It is hard. But it would be harder to sail away and never return, to lose our friends, our home—and you. And you will have to give up more—not only all your family, but your friends, your people, your home—you will have to give it all up, and never return to them."

Katie's face was surprisingly serene when she answered. "I know. I have known that for a long time." She turned to look him squarely in the eye. "I am willing to give it all up for you. I feel I belong here—and more than that, I feel God wants me here. If I chose not to stay, he would give me my wish: he always gives us what we ask for in the end. But—" She spread her hands. "I knew that the next time I came here, I wouldn't be going home. I even wrote a letter to my parents and left it where they will be sure to look, explaining everything that has happened, and where I've gone. They may not believe it at first, but I told them to talk to my roommate and my friends from college for elaboration—they met you, when you visited. They will believe in the end. I've taken care of all of that."

It was Elrohir's turn to look at her with wonder in his eyes. "You knew?" he said softly.

"Yes. I almost didn't dare to believe it—there were so many reasons it couldn't be true. But that's the great thing about Eru: _He calls things that are not as though they were_. I think this was my purpose in Middle-earth after all. To save people, yes—but most of all, so that Eru Ilúvatar could bless me." She laughed in delight at the thought. "He just wanted to make me happy, after all!"

"Enough of speeches," Elrohir said at last, running his hands through her hair with a chuckle. "Stubborn girl, are you done arguing? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, you ridiculous person, I will!" she answered with a laugh. As he leaned down to kiss her, the last lights of evening flashed over the lake, and it seemed the sun herself was laughing with them.

000

It was well after dark before they turned to walk back to the palace. They amused themselves by making wedding plans.

"We must officially announce our betrothal," Elrohir said.

"Of course," Katie answered, happy that she knew Elven marriage customs. "And then we'll marry a year after that. Only—" She frowned a little. "Your father and my mother can't do the ceremony."

"No. My mother's father might do it, though—for Celeborn is still in Lórien, you know," Elrohir said. "And perhaps you would like Arwen or Lithorniel to represent your mother?"

Katie nodded glumly. "I only wish my grandmother could see it."

"Does it bother you much, Beautiful?" Elrohir asked quietly.

Katie looked up at him with a quick smile—she liked his new nickname for her. "No; I've got the husband I want; I suppose the wedding guests aren't that big a deal." Elrohir laughed. "But I'm afraid you won't be getting a gift from my side of the family."

"I got _you_; that is gift enough for me," Elrohir pointed out. Katie stopped walking.

"Are you always going to be this flattering?" she asked suspiciously.

"I think you would agree: it is better than the alternative," Elrohir answered blandly. Katie tried to scowl at him, but they both ended up laughing.

"You know," Katie said slowly, "I think this was the reason. This was the reason Ilúvatar sent me here in the first place!" She smiled at Elrohir, her green eyes shining. "I came here first so I would get to know you. Then you came to my time so that you could save Grandma's life. Then she and I came back so that you and I would both learn of the Old Hope. And then—"

"—And then you came back so that we would finish falling in love, and now you are here so that we can marry!" Elrohir finished for her, the look of excitement on his face mirroring hers. "It is amazing!"

They both began to laugh again, and didn't stop until they reached the door of the palace.

"Elrohir, Katie—_there_ you are!" Arwen exclaimed as Elrohir was shutting the door. "You missed the arrival of our latest guests!"

"Guests?" Elrohir said, puzzled. "Surely Éowyn could not have ridden here from Gondor so fast?"

"No, of course not. Come on!" Arwen said, and Katie could swear she caught a mischievous gleam in her eye. Very curious, they followed her into the great hall.

There was a party of elves there, dressed in silvery gray, chatting with the guests and inhabitants of the King's house.

"Grandfather!" Elrohir exclaimed, and rushed over to the tall _ellon _in their midst with his silver hair. Looking at him now, Katie could see the great resemblance between him and the _elleth_ in her dream. No one who had seen Celebrían could doubt that she was Celeborn's daughter.

Elrohir's maternal grandfather would represent Elrond in their betrothal feast, then! Katie smiled at the thought. But Elrohir, suddenly smiling even wider at something Celeborn had said, beckoned her over.

"Greetings, Katelyn Elvellon," Celeborn said warmly. When she had said hello, he continued, "We met someone going our way as we were almost to Annúminas this evening. I think you will be most delighted to see her."

Katie frowned in confusion. But before she could ask who he was talking about, a tight knot of elves behind the Lord of the Wood stepped apart, and a much-loved face smiled at her gleefully.

Katie was robbed of speech for a moment. "Grandma!" she finally cried, and flew to Vivien's waiting arms. Everyone in the hall cheered as the two of them embraced, laughing and crying at once.

"Thank you," Katie whispered—not to her grandmother, but to the One who had sent her. And she was sure that somewhere in his heaven, he was laughing merrily.

**TBC**

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* * *

AN:** It's not quite over yet, but just almost! 

You should be thankful. Originally, I was going to put in a lot more text, and then end the chapter right where she said, "I can't marry you!" Wouldn't _that_ have been awful?

"_If any marriage can be between our kindred and thine, then it shall be for some high purpose of Doom. Brief it will be and hard at the end. Yea, the least cruel fate that could befall would be that death should soon end it."—Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth_, Tolkien

"As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."—Romans 4:17 NIV

Thought I would share the origin of the title of this last part of the series: "Prospice", by Robert Browning. I think you'll probably understand the significance now.

_Fear death?—to feel the fog in my throat,  
The mist in my face,  
When the snows begin, and the blasts denote  
I am nearing the place,  
The power of the night, the press of the storm,  
The post of the foe;  
Where he stands, the Arch Fear in a visible form;  
Yet the strong man must go:  
For the journey is done and the summit attained,  
And the barriers fall,  
Though a battle's to fight ere the guerdon be gained,  
The reward of it all.  
I was ever a fighter, so—one fight more,  
The best and the last!  
I would hate that Death bandaged my eyes, and forbore,  
And made me creep past.  
No! let me taste the whole of it, fare like my peers,  
The heroes of old,  
Bear the brunt, in a minute pay glad life's arrears  
Of pain, darkness and cold.  
For sudden the worst turns the best to the brave.  
The black minute's at end,  
And the elements' rage, the fiend voices that rave,  
Shall dwindle, shall blend,  
Shall change, shall become first a peace out of pain.  
Then a light, then thy breast,  
O thou soul of my soul! I shall clasp thee again,  
And with God be the rest._

I know I promised a "deleted scenes" thing, but I'm not sure, now—I think I'll leave the door open to write more parts to this series, eventually. And I may want to use some of those deleted scenes as ficfodder! (I've invented a new word. I'm very proud.) But you will be getting an epilogue, yet.

**Lady Dragon, Jammchra**: Oh yes, I agree there; that chapter did read quite fast. And as for the other bit—I don't quite see what a description of the heavenly bodies has to do with the age of Wicca, or any other religion, for that matter. I don't mean to be rude, but I was honestly confused. I looked it up in wikipedia, which said that Wicca was "first openly revealed in 1954" but that "The history of Wicca is much debated… Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal Pagan religions of pre-historic Europe… Others posit that he invented it himself, following the thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray and sources such as Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland, and the practices of Freemasonry and ceremonial magic… The spiritual content is inspired by older Pagan faiths, with Buddhist and Hindu influences. Whether any historical connection to Pagan religion exists, the aspiration to emulate Pagan religion as it was understood at the time certainly does." So I think the age of Wicca as a religion is probably debatable, and if it was indeed "inspired by Hindu influences", we're back to the age of Hinduism. Wikipedia says, "Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion in existence… Modern Indology, based on the linguistic and literary dating of the Rig Veda to 1500-1300 BCE, dates the roots of Hinduism to this time." Wow, this was a really long reply, wasn't it? lol Sorry about that!

**Skye**: Those darned dustbunnies haven't arrived yet, and I'm trying to fend off the plotbunnies with a pair of scissors and a spork! It isn't working too well…

I hope everybody had as great a Christmas as I did! Thank you to all who reviewed! Happy New Year—oh yes, and **please review!**


	14. With God Be the Rest

Elladan crept down the walk in the summer sunlight, just barely suppressing his laughter. It was a beautiful day in Rivendell, the flowers were all in bloom, and he and his young friend were having a bit of a romp.

Stepping as silently as he could, he inched his way toward a patch of Maiden Grass in the flowerbed—he could just barely see the toe of a small boot poking out from between the stalks.

"Gotcha!" he cried as he pounced on his prey. The child gave a shriek of delight, then giggled as loudly as Elladan himself as his older friend began to tickle him.

"Mercy!" the child shrieked amidst his laughter, and Elladan ceased, setting him on his feet again.

"You have made a mess of yourself, Galwion!" he said with a laugh, pulling a leaf out of the child's black hair.

Galwion had his father's gray eyes, but the smile he now displayed was obviously that of his mother. At six years old, he was the darling of Rivendell, and had he not had such a sweet nature, would have run the risk of being spoiled rotten.

"No more than you, Uncle!" Galwion answered with a laugh. "You have grass in your hair!"

"Where?" Elladan felt for it. "I cannot find it."

"Let me," Galwion said, and Elladan knelt for him to pick it out.

Instead, with an impish laugh, Galwion tried to stick a handful of grass into his uncle's hair, and squirmed with giggles when Elladan gave a playful growl and caught him to tickle him again.

When they were both exhausted, Galwion only giving a giggle between pants, Elladan looked up at the sound of footsteps and far-off laughter.

Elrohir was coming, with Katie on his arm. She looked just as young as she had the day she was married, and possibly even a little more beautiful. No one spoke of it, but all of Rivendell knew that the young couple had been blessed. Katie could not have a life as long as Aragorn's, perhaps, but she would stay young for quite some time. The One who had brought her and Elrohir together was seeing to it that they had many years to spend with one another, despite the disparity in their races.

They had been to Imlothurin again, and Elrohir had set brilliant flowers in his young wife's hair. They were talking and laughing over something as they passed between the flowerbeds and ducked beneath the trailing branches of a young willow. They made a beautiful picture.

"Look who is coming!" Elladan said to Galwion, pointing up the walk.

"Ada! Nana!" Galwion cried with delight, and ran to his parents.

Elrohir scooped him up in his arms, and both he and Katie gave their son a kiss. "And what have you two been doing?" Katie asked with a laugh as they drew nearer to Elladan.

"Playing hide-and-seek!" Galwion answered, fiddling with the garnet cross pendant that hung around his father's neck. "I was hiding and Elladan was seeking."

"Did Elladan not get a turn to hide?" Elrohir asked.

"He can't hide everywhere I can, Ada; he is too big!" Galwion answered, shooting a smile sideways at his adored uncle.

"Ah, but my arms are longer, and I can tickle better!" Elladan answered the boy, and they both laughed. Galwion tucked his arms around his father's neck and snuggled his head down beneath Elrohir's chin.

"Are you tired, _penneth_?" Katie asked.

"A little," Galwion admitted.

"Maybe Grandma will tell you a story?" Elrohir suggested.

"I would like that!" Galwion said with delight, raising his head. "I like Grandma's stories. She makes them so funny!"

"Run along to her, then!" Elrohir said, setting Galwion down on his feet again. His son obeyed, and Elladan soon followed.

Elrohir and Katie walked on alone for a minute. They stopped at the highest point in the gardens and looked down toward the falls and the jewel-like river below.

"Well, Beautiful?" Elrohir said to Katie as the sun glinted on the water. "Are you sorry you married me?"

"Never," Katie answered with a smile. It was something they often said to one another. "And will you still love me when my hair is white and my teeth are all fallen out?"

"I will love you more, and call you Wise-woman, like they call your grandmother," Elrohir chuckled, kissing her forehead.

Then Lord and Lady of Rivendell turned and went into the house, where Vivien was telling a story, and their son had already nodded off in her lap. Death was far-off for both of them, but when it came, it would be nothing but silent and sweet.

Their hearts rejoiced together.

000

_What do you think has become of the young and old men?  
And what do you think has become of the women and children?  
They are alive and well somewhere,  
The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,  
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,  
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd.  
All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,  
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier._

**The End**

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AN: **Yay! It's taken me just a little less than a year to write this whole story! And I actually it! You have no idea what a miracle that is! Now let's see if I can do the same with my other fanfics, and some of my original fiction… 

_Galwion_ is a name I made up myself in Sindarin. _Galu-ion_: son of the blessing.

Katie's experience would not be the first example of God keeping someone young: Caleb says in Joshua 14:10-11 (NIV): "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then."

The poem is the last part of "Grass", by Walt Whitman.

Now, to my lovely reviewers, who have kept me going on this fic for the last twelve months:

I love you all! If I could give you each a big hug, I would!

I'm going off now to finish up some other fanfics. On the top of the list are "There Is No Applause" and "Depth and Breadth and Height". When I'm done with the fanfics, I think I'll probably try to pick up my orig fic again. I've got some old stuff I intend to revamp. If in the interim I get some more ideas for sequels to this series, I might (_might!_) write a couple. _Might_. Originally I was going to tell how everybody eventually dies at the end (pleasant, no?), but I cut that stuff so that there's room for expansion. :)

And let me tell you something, if I ever decide to go back and edit/revise, the karaoke scene will be the first thing to go…

Also, I might do something extra for this fic: not necessarily the "deleted scenes" I originally intended, but some fun trivia stuff. If you'd like to see it, I think it'll be called DVD Extras.

So thank you all, and once more: **Please review!**. :)


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